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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26280757">Save the Archer</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TippenFunkaport/pseuds/TippenFunkaport'>TippenFunkaport</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action &amp; Romance, Action/Adventure, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Archery, Best Friend Squad (She-Ra), Blood and Violence, Catadora, Chipped Bow, F/F, F/M, First Kiss, Glimbow, Glimbow Centric, Horde Prime's Ship (She-Ra), Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, POV Adora (She-Ra), POV Glimmer (She-Ra), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Science Fiction, Spaceships, Tumblr: Glimbow Week, glow - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:48:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>24,352</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26280757</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TippenFunkaport/pseuds/TippenFunkaport</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Save the Cat goes wrong.<br/>Glimmer gets left behind.<br/>Bow gets chipped.</p><p>Or...</p><p>When the mission to save Catra goes wrong, a guilty Glimmer stays behind to give others a chance to escape. After all, Prime needs her alive to operate the Heart of Etheria, right? But Prime’s in a rage after what She-Ra did when she saved the cat and he wants Glimmer to suffer for it. While the others try to battle their way back to her through a battalion of Horde fighters, Glimmer’s got to fight to stay out of Prime’s clutches. </p><p>But Glimmer’s not the only one who was left behind. And Prime’s got a twisted surprise for his former prisoner that is going to break her weak Etherian heart.</p><p>Posting this for Glimbow Week's Injury Prompt.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adora &amp; Bow &amp; Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Catra &amp; Glimmer (She-Ra)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>115</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>122</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Glimbow Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Bow!” Glimmer yanked him out of the way as a clone she could have sworn she’d knocked out already reached for his ankle. He was on it in a second, sending a shock arrow behind them without even stopping his stride. She heard it connect as they tore out of the computer room to find Prime’s ship in utter tumult.</p>
<p>“Have you seen Adora?” Bow asked as they sprinted down the corridors of Prime’s ship.</p>
<p>“No.” She was still holding his arm and she let go, not sure what the rules were in whatever strange in-between place their friendship was in now. But she stayed close to his side. Every doorway they passed she tensed, expecting an attack. She hated feeling helpless like this.</p>
<p>If only she still had that staff thing she’d stolen from the trophy room, though at least she’d sacrificed it for an impressive amount of chaos. It had to have been magic or something because there was no other explanation for the sheer amount of destruction she’d caused by simply stabbing it down into the main computer. Explosions everywhere, electricity sparking across the walls.</p>
<p>Bow shook his head as if personally offended by it. “Not how computers work, but OK.”</p>
<p>“This way!” Glimmer shouted and ran down the leftmost corridor. All around them Prime’s ship was shuddering with rage, the walls sparking with menace. She glanced behind them to Entrapta who was dragging along that Horde clone they were bringing with them for some reason nobody had bothered to explain to her yet. Behind them, the heavy footsteps of at least a dozen clones ran after them with military precision. Did they ever get tired? She increased her pace to keep up with Bow, the muscles in her legs screaming.</p>
<p>They had to get out of here. Now. But where the hell was Adora? It had been too long since they lost communication with her, and that was not good. What if she hadn’t found Catra yet? What if there wasn’t a Catra anymore to find? What if Adora—</p>
<p>Bow grabbed her shoulder and yanked her backwards, just as a sparking section of ceiling slammed to the ground right in front of them. She breathed a thanks, but he’d already turned away. He was breathing heavily, the heart on his spacesuit rising and falling like it was beating.</p>
<p>“We’ll have to find another way—” Bow hadn’t even finished the thought before Glimmer leaped over the arcing voltage and kept running down the corridor. She wasn’t letting anything stop her from getting out of here. Behind her, he sighed. “Or we could to that, I guess.”</p>
<p>He’d follow her, she knew he would. Mad at her or not, he’d follow. After he’d checked in on her before she’d thought maybe things were better between them, that they were making progress, but maybe she was kidding herself to think they’d ever—</p>
<p>“They’re right behind us!” Entrapta shouted as a blaster shot ricocheted somewhere behind them. Glimmer could hear them now, the eerie sound of heavy feet running down the corridor behind them. Entrapta grabbed Bow’s arm. “We’ve got to get back to Darla, now!”</p>
<p>“We have to find Adora first.” Bow’s sounded so certain. He didn’t doubt for a moment that their friend was alive, that they were going to find her and Catra and get out of this. Like they weren’t already on borrowed time. His eternal optimism. It was one of the things about him she… but she couldn’t think about that now.</p>
<p>“Adora will know to meet us at the ship.” Glimmer knew there was a slightly hysterical edge to her voice, but the clones were coming closer and they were out of options. She was going to have to go back. She’d just gotten her freedom back and she would be right back where she started, that cell, the terror of never knowing if today was her last day, the crawling horror of Prime’s cold hand touching her face and not being able to flinch away. Wondering every day if Prime would grow bored and decide she wasn’t worth keeping. Wondering why he even was keeping her alive at all when he—</p>
<p>Oh. Realization spread through her body like ice.</p>
<p>They had reached a crossing, tunnels spreading out in every direction. She hesitated, trying to think, knowing they didn’t have time for thinking. Because she was certain that escape, that the ship, was that way but—</p>
<p>“Glimmer?” Bow was watching her, his hand raised half an inch from her arm. Like he’d been thinking about touching her and had decided not to. Because everything between them was broken and it was all her fault.</p>
<p>She knew what she had to do.</p>
<p>“The ship is that way. Go. Meet Adora.”</p>
<p>“Good plan!” Entrapta had already started dragging the Horde clone down the corridor, but Bow was looking at Glimmer strangely.</p>
<p>“What about you?” Of course Bow would see right through her, know what she was planning before she’d even formed the thought herself. Even with everything that had happened, he still knew her better than anyone. And for some reason, that just made her angry.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about me. I’m going to buy you time.”</p>
<p>“Absolutely not.”</p>
<p>“We don’t have a choice!” Glimmer rounded on him. “Don’t you see? You, Entrapta. He’ll kill you. But he needs me alive. Prime needs the princesses, all the princess, to operate the Heart of Etheria.” She was already starting back the way they’d come, moving towards the sound of the clones even as every voice in her head was screaming to go the opposite way.</p>
<p>Bow grabbed her arm and tried to tug her with him. “Glimmer, no! I just got you back.”</p>
<p>“Damn it, Bow, we don’t have time for this!” They were getting closer. Any minute now they’d come through that archway shooting to kill. She tugged out of his grasp and attempted an optimistic expression. “I’ll buy you time and then… I’ll catch up! Now go!”</p>
<p>“Glimmer, I—” He knew she was lying. He was looking at her with a mix of panic and despair, and for a minute she was terrified he was going to insist on coming with her, but then a blaster shot flew between them and they were truly out of time.</p>
<p>“Go! Please.” She shoved him towards the hallway. He hesitated, and she tried to memorize his face but he turned and disappeared down the hallway. Which was what she’d wanted him to do, but still… It was like he’d torn out a part of her and taken it with him. </p>
<p>“Brothers!” One of the clones called, as they reached the crossing and spotted Glimmer standing there alone. Adrenaline pushed out everything else as her body tensed into action. “Whoever recovers the prisoner will be rewarded with Prime’s glorious favor!”</p>
<p>Yeah, well, assholes, you’re going to have to catch me first. “You want me? Come and get me!” She dove down a corridor she’d never been down before, one in the complete opposite direction than her friends had just gone.</p>
<p>Come on, follow me. It’s me you want. Leave my friends alone.</p>
<p>“But where are the others?”</p>
<p>“Leave them! Prime needs the princess to operate the weapon!”</p>
<p>Footsteps coming closer. It was working! They were following her! A small sob of relief burst out of her and she pushed herself to move faster, put some distance between them.</p>
<p>Her friends would escape. Bow would escape. It was the least she could do for them after everything she’d done.</p>
<p>And she.. Well, she didn’t want to think about what would happen to her when they caught her.</p>
<p>If they caught her. </p>
<p>Which she sure as hell wasn’t going to let them do.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She-Ra placed Catra’s limp body inside the ship as delicately as she could. Darla’s control panel was blinking red and angry and Entrapta was skittering around yelling about who knows what as She-Ra stepped up to the console and placed her hand in it.</p>
<p>“Hey, Darla. Get us out of here.”</p>
<p>“Affirmative.” Darla intoned as the ship powered up.</p>
<p>“And Darla?” She-Ra’s eyes narrowed as she saw more Horde clones filling the airlock ahead of them. “Make it quick.”</p>
<p>“Wait, She-Ra, there’s—“</p>
<p>“Not now, Entrapta. Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it later.” She tuned out whatever Entrapta was saying and turned to Catra. She looked so small and broken there on the floor of the spaceship. Nothing felt real right now. The heady buzz of being She-Ra was deadening her senses. It had been a while but, even so, this form was different, more powerful. But she needed the detachment right now because without it she’d be falling apart.</p>
<p>Oh, Catra. She held her old friend close, the familiar scent of her still there under the sterile acidity of Prime’s world. She was in rough shape, but she wasn’t gone yet. And she wasn’t going to let her go. Not like this. Not after everything they’d been through.</p>
<p>“Come on, Catra. You’re not done... not yet.” She touched her forehead to Catra’s, her vision blurring with tears. “We’re going home.”</p>
<p>The healing was like a pulse of warmth that started deep within her and radiated outward. It spread around the two of them until they were enveloped in light, like they were inside a prism. She’d never healed someone this badly damaged before, nor been so relieved when she felt the life gasp back through Catra’s frame, so tiny in She-Ra’s huge arms. Catra coughed and Adora finally let She-Ra slip off her like a breath she’d been holding.</p>
<p>Catra opened her eyes, her real eyes, the ones Adora could look into forever, and her face spread into a weak smile. “Hey Adora...”</p>
<p>“Hey.”</p>
<p>Adora held Catra close and stroking the soft fur on her head, neither saying anything because there was nothing left to say. Time paused around them and it was like the two of them were the only people who existed in the world.</p>
<p>After what might have been minutes or hours, Catra drifted off to sleep and Adora lifted her as gently as she dared and placed her on the bed in Mara’s old room. For a while, she watched the slow rise and fall of her chest and the familiar way her ears twitched in her sleep, not wanting to leave her, but the others were probably wondering about… a lot, actually.</p>
<p>What had happened to Catra. How she’d escaped Prime. How she’d gotten She-Ra back.</p>
<p>Why she’d never exactly explained that she was in love with the person who’d been trying to kill them all this time.</p>
<p>~</p>
<p>Adora had expected Bow and Glimmer to be waiting outside the room for her, but there was no one in the hallway. She checked the bunks, but there was no one in there either. They must have been trying to give her and Catra some space. Gods, she loved them so much for that.</p>
<p>“Entrapta,” she asked at last, when she’d checked everywhere she could think of and still hadn’t found her friends. “Where are Bow and Glimmer?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, about that. I tried to tell you!” Entrapta said, coming out from underneath the control panel, no doubt doing some tinkering Bow would absolutely not approve of. “They’re not here.”</p>
<p>“What?” All the air was gone from the room in a second. Her fists clenched automatically. “What do you mean, not here?”</p>
<p>“Well, we weren’t going to make it out so Glimmer said she would distract them and give the rest of us time to escape.” Entrapta’s tone was maddeningly casual, as if she was just discussing some upgrade she made to one of her robots. “And it worked! We got back to Darla and then we waited for Glimmer to join us but, well, she didn’t.”</p>
<p>Oh, no. No no no. “Are you telling me Glimmer is still back on Prime’s ship? That we left her behind?” Aodra was dimly aware that she should not be shouting, that Catra was trying to rest, but panic was overriding all other thinking right now. The realization of what Glimmer had done for them sunk into her middle like lead. Her friend had regretted what she’d said before she’d activated the Heart, felt so guilty that Light Hope had tricked her, been so devastated when Bow hadn’t forgiven her… Oh, gods. “She sacrificed herself so the rest of us could get out.”</p>
<p>“Well, given that Prime needs all the elemental princesses to activate the Heart of Etheria, the likelihood that he’d keep her alive is high so, logically, she’s not in much more danger than she was before!”</p>
<p>The whole reason they’d come out here in space in the first place was to rescue Glimmer! Her friend hadn’t wanted to talk about what happened on the ship, but anyone could see how badly it had traumatized her. And now Adora had sent her right back to Prime after barely a day of freedom.</p>
<p>Adora clutched at her head. This was all her fault!</p>
<p>“We have to go back. We have to get her.” Her heart almost stopped as she thought about Catra under Prime’s control. The things he’d made her do to Adora, to herself. Would Prime do that to Glimmer? And this time there was no Catra there to save her. Adora choked back a sob.</p>
<p>“He’s got her again, but this time she’s all alone.”</p>
<p>“Oh, no, she’s not alone.” Entrapta said and for half a second Adora felt a flash of relief. “Bow went after her. Though... he never came back either, so I guess technically we left them both behind!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“WHAT? No. No no no no.” Adora couldn’t think, couldn’t process what she was hearing. She’d been so worried about Catra, so happy to have her back, that she hadn’t noticed that she’d left her best friends—the people who were basically her family—behind. And now Bow and Glimmer were back on Prime’s ship and every moment they were getting farther away and if they didn’t get them back before Prime found them—“Darla, stop!”</p><p>“Affirmative.” Darla’s dropped out of hyper-speed immediately, throwing Adora off balance. A moment later they were coasting, the ship eerily quiet without the rush of the engines. </p><p>“Wait a minute!" Entrapta grabbed at her head. "Did you forget about—”</p><p>“We don’t have a minute! Darla, turn around! We have to go back. We have to go get them.”</p><p>“Affirma—”</p><p>Boom! The floor suddenly pitched under her feet and she had to grab onto the edge of the captain’s chair to steady herself. Something smelled like burning, which was probably not good.</p><p>“What—“ But she didn’t need to finish the question. The answer was right in front of them, one of Prime’s scout ships, stabbing towards them out of the darkness of space. It fired, and another explosion rocked the cabin. Entrapta slammed into Adora, both of them landing in a heap on the floor. </p><p>Entrapta was back on her feet first, if her hair counted as feet, and was already racing towards the control panel. “Hold on, I think it’s... aah, this one!” She slammed a button and Darla sent a blast of energy toward the ship that connected in sparks, sending the small ship careening out of view. “Ha! Good girl, Darla! See, no problem!”</p><p>“Whew!” Adora went to the window and put her hand on the geek princess’ shoulder. “Good job, Entrapta.” Entrapta grinned at her and Adora smiled back. “Now, let's get back to— “</p><p>Darla screamed a warning alarm, and they both stepped back as a massive Prime ship, a white rectangular monstrosity, loomed into view, filling the entire window. </p><p>“Oo, I wonder what you’re carrying, ya big girl?” Entrapta asked the new ship, already in love. </p><p>Adora was feeling less affectionate towards it. But it looked like it was only some kind of cargo ship, so they should be able to outrun it easily. She was more worried about the fact that it was between them and their friends back on the Velvet Glove, but it probably didn’t have much in the way of maneuverability and as long as they—</p><p>The cargo ship split open, the front of it opening up like a giant mouth, disgorging a hundred or more of Prime’s needle-like fighter jets. Now those they absolutely could not out maneuver or outrun in this old ship. </p><p>Boom! Adora clutched the edge of the control panel as the ship jerked sideways. Or out gun. </p><p>Entrapta turned to her, and it was the first time that she’d actually seen the princess look nervous. “Uh, any ideas?”</p><p>Adora shook her head. She had to save her friends. Every minute Bow and Glimmer were with Prime decreased the chances they were still alive. But to save them they had to stay alive long enough to get back to them and, right now, that wasn’t looking too likely.</p><hr/><p>Come on, how many of you are there? Glimmer peeked out from behind the large crate she'd been hiding behind and watched as clones ran by in their creepy unison. There was just an endless stream of them coming into the cavernous loading bay she’d been planning on just ducking into for a minute until apparently every damn clone on the ship decided to come in here. </p><p>She should just run for it. Grab another weapon, smack everybody in the head like before. But there were so many of them and… what were they doing? While before they’d been clearly looking for her, now they were heading directly for the thin white fighters scattered around this room by the dozens, stacked three rows high. It looked like they were getting the ships ready for something, but what?</p><p>She was about to say to hell with it and see how far sprinting got her when she saw something streak by outside the large windows on the far side of the room. Was that.. Darla? At first, she felt pure elation. Yes! They’d made it out! Then sickening feeling sunk to the bottom of her stomach. </p><p>They’d… actually left? Without her? But Adora wouldn’t... Even mad as he was, Bow would never… Even though it had been her plan, she hadn’t really believed… </p><p>But that’s what she’d wanted them to do, wasn’t it? They’d escape, and she’d… Oh, gods! Prime had her again. Panic choked her, but she forced herself to take steady gulps of air, trying to get her head clear. </p><p>She had to get it together. She was alone, this time without even a frenemy like Catra. If she was going to survive this, she had to keep her head. And she <em>was</em> going to survive this. She had to. After everything else she’d been through, she was way too stubborn to give up now. </p><p>She scrubbed a stray tear away with the heel of her palm. Besides, her friends wouldn’t have left her unless they’d had no other choice. She trusted them enough to know that. They probably even planned to come back for her.</p><p>They better not.</p><p>The thought was sudden, fierce. She would not let them risk themselves for her again, not after everything she’d done. She was going to get herself out so nobody else she cared about had to be in danger. </p><p>This whole room was filled with ships. All she needed to do was grab one, teach herself how to fly an alien technology she had no experience with whatsoever, and then figure out how to find her friends in the vastness of an entire universe before Prime realized she’d taken it. Piece of cake. She pushed away every feeling but absolute certainty. She was sure as hell not going to let Prime get his creepy hands on her again, that was for certain. </p><p>The fighters seemed to have a clone or two per ship and then some kind of robot pilot thingie, as far as she could tell. She was pretty confident she could take out a clone if she could find a blunt object, but she wasn’t sure about the robot. Oh, well, it’s still just a Horde robot, right? She’d been taking them out for years! </p><p>She flexed her hand, but nothing happened. Gods, she missed her powers. She would never, ever take them for granted again after this. </p><p>OK, here goes nothing. Let’s—</p><p>Whoa! The floor beneath her shifted, and she lost her balance, falling, slamming backward into the wall. What the… They were suddenly moving and fast. Had Prime decided to go after her friends himself? She scrambled to her feet and raced to the doorway she’d come in, but it had sealed shut. She jammed her fingers into the edge of the door, but it wouldn’t budge. The tiny glass window in the top showed... stars? </p><p>Wait a second. She looked around her. This wasn’t in a room at all. It was a ship! Some kind of cargo ship. Prime must use these when he’s attacking a planet, blast one big ship full of fighters ahead, dump an entire armada on some unsuspecting—</p><p>She froze, her blood turning to ice. Darla. He was sending it after Darla. Her friends! She had to warn them! There was no way that busted old ship was equipped to deal with this many Horde fighters. </p><p>But how? How could she warn them? The ship lurched again, the stars through the window slowing back into view. The ship must only have one big push of speed and then it coasts, letting the fighters do the rest. Her heart jumped to her throat as Darla came into view, Mara’s ship looking small and insignificant against the crush of darkness and stars. </p><p>Were they watching her approach just as she was watching them? </p><p>An alarm was booping overhead, and the room had suddenly emptied of clones. Lights blinked along the window just in front of the ships. That could only mean… Shit! Shit shit shit! She had to get out, NOW. </p><p>There! One clone left, just moving through the airlock door. She sprinted over, slamming into his back, sending the two of them sprawling to the floor, landing inside the airlock just in time. The door sealed behind them with a hiss. </p><p>“What—“ The clone operating the control box turned, but Glimmer thought fast, slamming the door of the control box into his face a few times. It dazed him enough that she could push her way past to the doorway up ahead. The clone on the floor grabbed for her ankle, but she dodged and dashed through the next door. </p><p>She sprinted past a long line of windows that overlooked the room she’d just been in and knew she’d gotten out just in time. The window was sliding open, and the fighters were pouring out into open space. Another second longer and she would have been in the vacuum of space with nothing... and she’d already done that once this week, thanks. </p><p>She heard the hydraulic hiss of a door opening behind her, and she knew her buddies from the airlock had to be back on their feet by now. She had to get out of the open. She ducked into what looked like a closet, trying to catch her breath and figure out her next move.</p><p>This was not the greatest situation but at least she was on this ship and Prime was back on the other one and, as far as she was concerned, that was already an improvement on things. So, positives? She knew where her friends were! Unfortunately, where they were was about to get blown to bits by a battalion of Horde fighters which was less positive. And, of course, now her whole plan to steal a fighter and get out of here was shot to hell now that there weren’t actually any ships left on this thing. </p><p>Though… if this whole thing was a ship… maybe she could just steal it instead? That probably wouldn’t be much harder than one of tiny ones, right? And if she could find the cockpit, maybe she could do something about those fighters too? </p><p>OK, Bow and Adora would say she needed some kind of plan. Hmm, how about… grab a weapon… find the cockpit… take over the ship… save my friends and myself… knock out everybody who gets in my way!</p><p>Yay, good plan! Very specific! Go Glimmer!</p><p>There were footsteps in the corridor, moving closer. She didn’t have a lot of time. There was some kind of jagged alien wrench hanging on the wall ahead of her as long as her forearm and she pulled it down, testing the weight of it in her hand. This would do.</p><p>See? Step one of the plan and she’d already checked it off. </p><p>This was fine. </p><p>Hoo, boy. She exhaled and flattened herself against the wall by the door. She actually smiled as she heard someone approach. Basically everything was terrible right now, but she at least was really looking forward to bashing more clone heads in.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>OK, this time she had it. Adora lined the fighter up in the digital sights and tapped the button— No! How did she keep missing? The ship shook again as it took another hit, the floating screens ahead of her distorting and flickering in and out. </p><p>“Entrapta, what happens if we lose the screens?” Adora called while setting up her next shot. </p><p>“Nothing good!” Came the reply from… somewhere. Entrapta was trying to fix the ship on the fly and she’d disappeared into Darla’s ducts as soon as things started going wrong. Which was pretty much immediately. </p><p>Adora was trying to man Bow's usual position at the helm and she was really terrible at it. Darla was getting absolutely pummeled. Shields were down to almost nothing and there were way, way too many ships around for them to hold them off for much longer. </p><p>Damn it! Adora’s next shot went wide too. Not that what they were doing now could really be called holding them off. </p><p>"What's going on?" </p><p>“Catra?” Adora whipped her head around to see her former friend— or maybe current friend? She honestly wasn’t sure what their status was right now— step onto the bridge. Their eyes locked and something passed between them for a minute before the bridge rocked again and Adora remembered she was supposed to be watching the screen. She fired towards a cluster of ships without even taking the time to aim. </p><p>“You missed.” Catra observed, unhelpfully.</p><p>“I know!” Adora had to force her head to stay forward and watch for her next shot when every fiber of her being didn't want to take her eyes off Catra. Just knowing she was there was distracting, her presence like a tiny sun she had to fight the urge to orbit. "You shouldn’t be here! You're supposed to be resting!" </p><p>"Like anyone could rest with all this going on." The ship rocked again and Darla made a very ominous creaking sound. </p><p>"Darla can't take much more of this!" Entrapta seemed to be everywhere at once, her hands fixing one thing, her hair another. "Could you try hitting some of them? You know, with the blasters?" </p><p>If it was from anyone else, Adora would have thought she was being sarcastic. </p><p>"I'm trying!" Adora tapped the trigger. Well, at least she grazed that one instead of missing entirely. </p><p>"Wow. You're terrible at this." Catra shoved her, hard. "Get up. I've got way more experience with this kind of stuff than you do."</p><p>Adora opened her mouth to protest but Catra was right and, besides, she couldn't possibly do much worse. She pushed herself up and Catra slid into the seat. </p><p>Adora hovered behind the chair. "This button is the blasters, this one is the--"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah. It’s First One’s tech. Entrapta retrofitted the Horde with a whole a bunch of it. I'll figure it out. Give me some space!" Catra waved her off and Adora took a reluctant step backwards. She watched as Catra's mismatched eyes scanned the floating screens for a minute and smiled. Half a minute later, she'd taken out three of the ships tailing them and had another in her sights. "Woohoo!"</p><p>Wow. Adora was really glad everyone was too busy to notice her blush. Catra blasted the next ship and then maneuvered them at the last second so they were out of range of another one. The corner of her mouth turned up in a wicked grin. Damn, she really was good at this. Adora couldn’t stop watching those black nails dart across the screens with expert dexterity. So this was Catra in her element. It was much easier to appreciate now that it wasn’t directed at killing her and her friends.  </p><p>"There's still too many of them!" Entrapta shouted. "And I need time to repair the ship. Can't you She-Ra them or something?"</p><p>Could she? She reached inward for the fire she’d felt in Prime’s ship but it wasn’t more than a small spark. Come on. For a moment, she almost thought she had it but then the ship rocked again and she lost it. This was ridiculous. </p><p>"What could She-Ra even do?” Adora paced the bridge, feeling helpless. “Just walk out into open space and start punching ships?"</p><p>"Yeah, sure, do that." Entrapta waved vaguely at her from within the central console. </p><p>"Is that even possible?" Catra asked, her body jerking to the side as she banked them to the left, her fingers flying around the floating screens. She hit two at once and let out a cackle. Adora couldn’t help but smile. Bow was never getting this chair back. </p><p>Assuming they ever saw him again. </p><p>No. They were going to get out of this. They were going to save their friends. Then they were going to save their planet. She was not leaving anyone behind. </p><p>The spark inside her flared and she grasped at it. It was like trying to catch a speck of dust. Almost. She felt something tingling in her outstretched hand and strained, trying to pull the sword back into the world and for a moment she thought she felt something solidify— Damn it! Every time she almost had it, it slipped through her fingers again. </p><p>She was halfway out of the room, ready to try again somewhere a little quieter when she heard Catra shout, "Whoa!"</p><p>She spun around watched as two fighters started to fire directly on... each other. She ran back over to Catra and they exchanged a stunned glance before turning to watch the utter chaos unfolding in front of them. Horde ships were firing on each other, crashing into one another. All around them was blaster fire and wreckage but, for a nice change, none of it was centered on them. </p><p>"By my calculations, the large ship should have a sizable blind spot under the thruster on the bottom right of the hull. If we can hide there for a bit, I should be able to get Darla back up and running."</p><p>“Well, we’re not going to get a better chance to slip away than in all this!” Adora shouted.</p><p>"On it." Catra said, zig zagging between the chaos. Gods, was there something wrong with her or was Catra’s competence at driving this thing really... hot? They got hit a few times but in less time than she would have thought possible they were tucked under the giant cargo ship. No one dared breath for several tense moments but no one came after them. It looked like they’d really pulled it off. </p><p>For now anyway.</p><p>“OK, everybody catch their breath but then we need to get back to work.” Adora started pacing. “We don’t know how long this is going to work. And I don’t like just sitting here completely helpless right under Prime’s nose.”</p><p>"I just need to power down all non-essential systems and reroute the boosters. Oh and maybe I can couple the-- Wrong Hordak, hand me my tools." Entrapta disappeared into the controls while Wrong Hordak came jogging in with a smile and a box of tools like they were all playing some delightful party game. </p><p>And then it was just her and Catra. The silence stretched awkwardly for long seconds now that there wasn’t an immediate crisis to distract from the gulf of complicated history between them. Catra’s eyes never left the front window. </p><p>Adora wanted to say something, wanted to say everything, but before she could figure out where to begin Catra spoke first.</p><p>"So, uh, where are Sparkles and Arrow Boy?"</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Not bad, Glimmer. Not bad at all. </p><p>OK, so her friends had abandoned her and she had no powers and was stuck on an alien spaceship she had no idea how to fly that belonged to the nightmare villain who wanted to destroy her planet that she’d only just escaped, but as she watched the light show of exploding fighters through the window ahead of her, Glimmer had to admit she was actually kind of having fun. She watched the havoc she’d managed to wreck with a grin.  </p><p>It had taken her less time than she’d expected to bash her way up here. There wasn’t much to this thing besides that dock she’d started in and a few storage rooms so she’d found the bridge in no time. It helped that the ship was mostly empty. Most of the clones she’d seen before had either left in the fighters or gone back into the main ship before takeoff. The few she had run into were now taking a nap thanks to a little strategically applied percussion to the back of the neck. </p><p>She gave her wrench an affectionate little pat. </p><p>There had been a robotic pilot at the helm and she’d watched it for a few seconds to get a sense of the controls before dispatching it. The thing was still sparking over in the corner of the room when she started to cause chaos with the fighters. The clones apparently didn't think for themselves at all, they just followed whatever orders they got without question. All she'd had to do was drag her finger over the screen and alter their flight paths and targets to each other and, tah dah! What ships were left were badly damaged and she'd seen Darla get away. </p><p>Glimmer saves the day!</p><p>Now she just needed to save herself. And, like, now. Chances were, her friends were still close. Darla had looked pretty wrecked so they couldn’t have gone too far. Poor Bow. He spent so much time stressing about keeping that antique in the air, he must be having an heart attack right now worrying about all the new damage. </p><p>How could she let them know where she was? Could she contact them from this ship? Catra had connected with Darla before she’d beamed Glimmer into space so there must be a way to do it. She scanned the room she was in, trying to make sense of the blinking lights and switches. </p><p>Hmm. There was a small screen embedded above the dashboard. She could probably contact Darla through that. The problem was it looked like a miniature one of the fan-like screens Prime had all over his ships. The ones he’d only ever used to show her horrible things. For a moment she was back in Prime’s dining room, watching helplessly as her friends fought for their lives on her ruined planet. </p><p>She swallowed and shook it off. No. She wasn’t going to psych herself out about it. It was just a screen and it could mean escape if she could figure out how to get it to work. Plus she really didn’t have another choice. She reached towards what looked like a small button at the bottom edge of the screen but flinched back as the screen flared to life before she’d even touched it. </p><p>She gasped, her breath caught in her throat. Prime. He loomed up onto the screen as if directly conjured by her nightmares. She slammed the buttons on the console desperately, but panel went dark. </p><p>"Did you not think I would know you were there, your majesty? Prime sees ALL." The facade of arrogant civility was totally gone and there was something weirdly satisfying about knowing they had finally managed to make him REALLY mad. Even if it was absolutely terrifying. "I was already displeased with you after you so rudely left my more than generous accommodations and then that foolish stunt your friends…” he spat the word like it was poison “…your She-Ra pulled today have sealed your fate. You have reached the end of my patience."</p><p>Glimmer's throat tightened but held herself tall. "You need all the princesses to work the weapon. You need me. Alive." She hoped she sounded more confident than she felt. A bead of sweat slid down her temple even though this ship was as cold as everything Prime touched. </p><p>"Alive." Prime let out a small laugh and it made her blood turn to ice. "Yes, I will keep you alive. But first you will suffer for what you and your friends have done." </p><p>The video changed abruptly and it took her a moment to recognize the loading bay she'd been in before. The massive doors were opening and a single ship was coming on board. She slammed on the console again, desperate to shut the doors, but nothing happened. He’d locked her out of controls. </p><p>One, two, three… Oh no. Robotic fighters, the kind she’d seen her friends fighting on Etheria and a handful of heavily armed clones. One of them looked right at the camera and gave a menacing smile. The others looked up too, their eyes narrowed. It was like they were looking right up at her. The one held what looked like a long, curved knife. </p><p>She stepped back involuntarily, gasping for a breath. Prime wouldn’t kill her. But that wasn’t as much of a comfort as she realized there were a whole lot of things worst than death.  </p><p>Prime’s voice came from nowhere and it was like he was right over her shoulder. “Now, princess, we will play a little game. Will my soldiers find you first and cleanse the darkness from your weak little body by blood and pain? Or will I have to bring you to the light by breaking your fragile Etherian heart?”</p><p>He laughed then, cruel and mirthless, and Glimmer closed her shaking fingers around her wrench and swung it at the screen. The image smashed in a shower of sparks and glass but the laughter echoed until she wasn’t sure if it was real or if it was in her head. She stared at the tangle of wires that was all that was left of the screen, her chest rising and falling in ragged jumps. </p><p>Then she tightened her grip on the wrench, pushed her way out of the control room and ran. </p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is a short chapter because the next one is SUPER long. But, next chapter, you will finally get to see what happened to poor Bow!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This was taking too long. They were just sitting here, waiting! Their friends needed them and every second they wasted— Adora shook her head and continued pacing Darla’s bridge.</p><p>"Look. Prime needs Sparkles. Whatever he's going to do with her, he's not going to kill her."</p><p>Did Catra just… reassure her? Adora stopped her pacing and watched her old friend. Catra wasn't looking at her. She was lounging in the captain’s chair, her mismatched eyes on the spread of stars out the big window, their light reflected back in her gaze. Her posture made it seem like she didn't have a care in the world but Adora knew her well enough to know that the way the tip of her tail was flicking back and forth meant she was worried.</p><p>About Bow and Glimmer? Really? Even after all those times she’d tried to kill them? Though Catra had tried to kill Adora enough times and she knew… well, was reasonably sure that Catra didn’t hate her.</p><p>“But what about Bow?” Adora asked and Catra flicked her eyes to hers for only a second before giving a shrug.</p><p>Adora squeezed her hand into a fist and started pacing again. Bow was the best. The best! He was brave and resourceful and the kindest person she had ever met. He’d been the one who kind to her from the very beginning, even when she wasn’t She-Ra, wasn’t anyone but an enemy.</p><p>But Prime wouldn’t care about any of that and they all knew it. He didn’t have any magic, wasn’t part of any weapon. As far as the Horde was concerned, Bow didn’t serve any purpose and if Prime found him, he was done for.</p><p>She wasn’t going to even entertain the idea that they were already too late.</p><p>"Entrapta, how much longer until we can get back out there?" Adora called vaguely in the direction of the ducts. They were still hiding in the shadow of the big ship, nestled underneath one of the big thrusters, and Entrapta had been everywhere at once trying to repair the damage to the ship.</p><p>Tentacles of purple hair stretched out from the ceiling and caught Entrapta in a kind of chair as she dropped down. "Well, I had to cut off life support to the back rooms to buy us a little more power so you’re going to want to avoid those and the thrusters are still only at about 47% efficiency but I rerouted the main power system through the shields and now her system just needs to reboot. Ooo, you’ve been such a good little patient, Darla.”</p><p>Entrapta gave control panel a rigorous rub. Adora and Catra exchanged a look and then both looked anywhere else. The nature of Entrapta’s relationship with Darla was best left unexamined.</p><p>Adora tried to get things back on track. “Which means?”</p><p>“Oh!” Entrapta lunged forward so her hair chair was right in front of Adora. “Assuming the reboot is successful, we should be back up and operational in a couple of minutes."</p><p>“OK, good.” Adora exhaled as Entrapta rose back up into the ceiling. "Then we can go back to Prime's ship to get Bow and Glimmer."</p><p>Entrapta stuck her head back down through the open ceiling panel. “Oh, Bow and Glimmer aren't on Prime's ship."</p><p>"What do you mean?" Catra jumped to her feet and came over to look at Entrapta. “Where else would they be?”</p><p>“Well…” Entrapta looked evasive.</p><p>“Are they alive?” Adora felt like she couldn’t breathe.</p><p>“Highly likely. Their vitals are erratic and Bow's got pretttty freaky for a little bit there but they're steady enough now.”</p><p>Adora exhaled, relief as much as frustration. “How do you even know that? What aren’t you telling us?”</p><p>Entrapta looked from right to left and then started to disappear back into the ceiling.</p><p>Catra growled. “Entrapta! Do you know where they are or not?”</p><p>Entrapta stayed out of sight. Adora rubbed her face with both hands and then called up to the geek princess with as much of a neutral tone as she could manage right now when she felt like she was on the cusp of absolutely losing it.</p><p>“Entrapta, our friends are in danger and every second we waste— Is there something you need to tell us?”</p><p>“No! Maybe. Well, Bow said he didn’t want me to touch it and it’s untested, possibly unstable, though my data indicates it should be functional, particularly with the enhancements I added...”</p><p>“Entrapta!” Catra shouted.</p><p>“OK, fine.” Entrapta reappeared, lowering herself back down into the main room. “I'll tell you but you have to promise you won't be mad that I may have done an eensy teensy bit of… harvesting your DNA while you were sleeping."</p><p>"You— WHAT?"</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>So far so good. Glimmer’s heart was hammering against her chest. She switched her wrench to her other hand and wiped her sweaty palm on the slick material of her spacesuit. The last thing she needed was to lose her grip on her only weapon.</p><p>OK. Some robots, a handful of clones. Huge guns and at least one very sharp… actually, let’s not think about that. She exhaled, trying to keep herself under control.</p><p>I get past all that… somehow. Then I steal the ship… still not sure how I’m going to do that either… get out of here, find my friends, go home and save my planet. Easy. She swallowed and flattened herself against the cold metal of the wall and peered around another corner.</p><p>It was clear. She released the breath she’d been holding. Almost there.</p><p>Shit, not that way! Metallic footsteps, coming closer. She ignored her flight instincts and turned slowly, keeping her steps quiet. Moving only as fast as she could, making no sound, she doubled back until it sounded like she’d lost them.</p><p>She’d run outright the first time and never would have made it if she hadn’t lucked upon a barrel of the green fluid in the corridor. She’d overturned it behind her, and her pursuers had slipped and slowed enough for her to lose them. But there was no way she’d be that lucky again.</p><p>The hallway branched ahead. Left or right… She tried to remember the ship schematic from the control room. Uh… that one. A random guess. Hopefully she wasn’t just going around in circles again. She was wasting too much time. Every second that passed made it more likely that ship was gone and with it any chance of getting back to the others.</p><p>Another white hallway like every other except—She gasped, choking when she saw… but no, it wasn’t moving. It was one of the clones she’d hit before, its cape caught in the doorway, giving the slumped form the illusion of standing. She held her wrench aloft as she approached, but the clone was out cold.</p><p>Whew. Remember to breathe. But if that was one of the clones she’d hit before, that meant… She allowed herself a tiny flash of hope as she edged around the corner.</p><p>Finally! The loading bay. She couldn’t see the windows from here, but the ship had to still be there. It just had to be.</p><p>She tensed, adjusting her grip on the wrench. Between her and the door were gooey green footprints, which meant whoever was chasing her before had been here. Or was still here, waiting for her. And, of course, the wide open foyer before the airlock left nowhere to hide. If they were waiting for her... she didn’t want to think about it.</p><p>But what other choice did she have? Her only chance of getting back to her friends was that ship. She took a deep breath and sprinted for the door.</p><p>She saw the flash before she even heard the blaster fire and dove, feeling the heat of it as it flew over her head and connected with something behind her. Two more bolts went high and the air above her smelled like burning. She only had seconds to move before they adjusted their aim. She rolled closer to the door and scrambled to her feet as the spot where she’d just been exploded in scorching light.</p><p>Two clones were running towards her, down the corridor. Only one had a blaster which was why she was still alive. But that wasn’t much of a comfort when she noticed that the other held that long curved knife, its jagged edge glinting in the sterile lights of the corridor.</p><p>Crap! There was a blast coming right for her, and she swung her wrench at it reflexively. To her surprise, the polished metal of the wrench reflected the burning light back at the clones and they flung themselves to the floor to avoid the shot.</p><p>Wow. Hey! Let’s pretend we did that on purpose.</p><p>But there wasn’t time to catch her breath, let alone celebrate her luck. The clones were already getting back to their feet. She had to get out of here, now.</p><p>The blaster fire had damaged the door to the airlock, leaving a gap between edge and door. She tried to cram herself through the opening, but there wasn’t enough room. The one with the knife was on his feet now, stumbling towards her with a look of pure malice.</p><p>She wedged her back against the door, trying to get it to slide farther open. Come on, you stupid thing! She changed her position, kicking it back with her foot. It gave at last, and she almost lost her footing as she fell into the airlock.</p><p>OK, one door down. She made for the second door, the one that would take her into the loading dock itself and the ship that could take her back to her friends. Almost there.</p><p>Godsdamn it, no! She was so close! But the door was sealed shut. She pounded her fist and then her wrench against the control panel, but nothing happened. She crammed her fingers into the edge, trying to pry it open with her bare hands, but the still door wouldn’t open. She was trapped.</p><p>She whipped around, flattening her back against the door, gripping her wrench with both hands, ready for a fight. Her chest rose and fell, adrenaline coursing through her veins. Whatever they were going to do to her, she was not going down without a fight.</p><p>The clone with the knife was right there, standing in the first doorway. Three steps and he’d be upon her. This airlock was so tiny there was barely room for a fight. His face twisted into a parody of a smile as he advanced.</p><p>Wha— Glimmer fell backwards as the door behind her opened at last, and she tumbled out of the airlock and into the loading bay. She froze, watching confusion play out across the clone’s face as the door slid closed between them. Then she forced her body into action.</p><p>Crates, barrels, an entire of cloaks, whatever these heavy metal triangle things were. She shoved it all in front of the door, cramming and jamming everything together. When she finally stopped to catch her breath, there was a chaotic pile of junk in front of the only way into the loading bay. Now she just had to hope to all the old gods it was enough to keep them out.</p><p>She turned, panting, and relief flooded her system when she saw it. The ship was still here! It was right there, and all she had to do was run over to it and get on and fly to her friends… just walk right up… stroll right on over… because it was apparently completely unguarded.</p><p>Something twisted in her gut.</p><p>It was quiet in here. Way too quiet. And why had the door opened then, not when she was bashing on it? It didn’t make sense unless… Oh, gods.</p><p>Unless it was a trap.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a trap. It had to be. Prime had been watching, he was always watching, and he’d lured her here and Glimmer had fallen for it and now he’d—</p><p>No. No, she had to keep it together. There was no point in freaking out until she knew what she was dealing with.</p><p>There were half a dozen large barrels in the corner that looked like the one full of green stuff she’d overturned before. She crouched between them, taking careful breaths, trying to stop the familiar acid smell of Prime’s creepy clone juice from sending her into a full on panic attack. She had to keep her head and figure out what to do next.</p><p>An eternity ticked by as she strained to hear something, anything. Nothing. What were the chances Prime’s goons were all running around looking for her and had left the ship completely unguarded? She exhaled. She was wasting precious time she could use to escape, but she couldn’t shake the feeling this was too easy.</p><p>According to the schematic, this was the only bay and the door she’d blocked off the only way out of it. She didn’t know how long her makeshift barricade would hold, but it should slow them down at least. Of course, it also meant that she’d trapped herself in here and was screwed if someone opened the loading bay. She had to leave on that ship or she wasn’t leaving at all.</p><p>Well, here goes nothing. If there was someone in here with her, she’d just have to handle it. She tensed, ready to make a sprint for the ship when she heard something whir to life and retreated farther behind the barrels.</p><p>She could barely see anything from back here and didn’t dare risk taking another peek now. She probably wouldn’t have heard it at all if the bay wasn’t so freakishly quiet and she hadn’t been listening so closely. It sounded enough like the one on Darla that she realized what it had to be at once. The shush of the ship’s ramp lowering.</p><p>And then footsteps.</p><p>So there was someone else here. Only one descending the ramp, from the sound of it. Well, she could take one. She adjusted her grip on her trusty wrench.</p><p>The footsteps were soft, slow and deliberate, nothing like the usual march-like step of the clones. There was something very menacing about it, like a hunter stalking its prey. Unbidden, the image of Prime on the screen flashed into her mind, that dark smile like a twisted knife, and the way he said he wanted her to suffer. He wouldn’t bother coming after her personally, would he?</p><p>She strained to hear the quiet steps over the slamming of her heart. They sounded like they were headed away from her. This might be her chance. She glanced around the edge of the barrel and saw the door of the ship, wide open and inviting. And no sign of whoever came out of it.</p><p>She’d sprint for it. If she could reach the ramp before they noticed her and if she could shut the ramp behind her in time to keep them out and if she could then figure out how to get the ship out of here and to her friends… Damn, those were a lot of ifs. Whatever. She hadn’t come this far to start over-thinking this now.</p><p>She crouched, ready to run, when she heard something that made her heart skip a beat.</p><p>“Glimmer?”</p><p>Bow? What? No! No, that was impossible!</p><p>Bow had left with the others, he was safe, that was why she’d done this, why she’d sacrificed herself, he couldn’t be… but that absolute noble dumbass, of course he wouldn’t have left without her. Warmth flooded her chest. Oh, Bow, you completely wonderful heroic IDIOT. He couldn’t even be mad at her right!</p><p>She jumped to her feet, elation buzzing through her. She needed to find him. Needed to hug him and feel him and know that he was real. And yell at him for putting himself in danger for her. He shouldn’t have come after but, oh, she was so glad he did and now they could both go onto the ship and get out of here together.</p><p>“Bow?” A flash of movement from across the room. She craned to see.</p><p>There was a sudden rush of breeze next to her ear and the thunk of something hitting just behind her. She dove back down instinctively, clutching her wrench to her chest. How could she have been so stupid? It had been a trick. Obviously, it had. Bow wasn’t really here he was—</p><p>The bottom dropped out of her stomach as she registered the barrel behind her oozing green fluid down its cold gray side and onto the floor. Something was sunk deep into the thick metal. Something impossible.</p><p>An arrow. Someone had shot an arrow at her. And very nearly missed.</p><p>She choked, forgetting how to breathe. Never, not once in all those battles and missions, had anyone ever shot an arrow AT her. The Horde didn’t use arrows. They used blasters and robots and stun guns. Arrows were what the good guys used to protect the people they loved. The shaft had sunk almost entirely into the oozing barrel, but she could still see the pale brown feathers at the end.</p><p>No! She heard the string release this time and dove to the side just in time. The barrel she’d been behind slammed backward into the wall, glued there with green go. If she hadn’t figured it out before, that would have done it.</p><p>The wooden one in the barrel, the green goo. These were Bow’s arrows. But how did Prime have Bow’s arrows? Did that mean something had happened to Bow?</p><p>There was no time to think as she heard the bowstring ping again, a sound it had never once occurred to her to be afraid of before, but now it filled her with absolute terror. She needed cover, NOW. She dove behind what looked like a replacement panel for one of the ships, hot fire stabbing through her bicep.</p><p>All the strength left her right arm, and she dropped her wrench. It clattered, heavy and loud on the metal ground. No, no, they’d hear that. They’d be coming. She was going to have to move again and soon, but—she sucked air through her teeth when she moved—the pain in her arm was like nothing she’d ever felt.</p><p>She was dizzy from pain and shock, but she’d been in one place for too long. There was a rolling ladder a few feet away, and she lurched for it. It wasn’t great cover, but she only needed a minute to check her wound. The arrow had gone all the way through, dark red blood soaking the gray arm of her spacesuit. Bow had told her over and over what to do if this happened, if she got hit with one of his arrows, and she had laughed at him because that would never happen.</p><p>Well, never was here.</p><p>She tried to rip off part of her spacesuit to use as a bandage, but the material was too tough to tear. She finally just rolled up the sleeve, bunching it tightly around the wound. It was snug, but not tight enough for a proper tourniquet. A thin line of blood still slid down her bare arm.</p><p>“Heeey, Glimmer!” It was Bow’s voice, but the tone was all wrong, chilling her to the bone. It was a twisted mockery of his usual sweetness. How was Prime doing that? It must be some kind of illusion.</p><p>Where were they? She listened for her attacker, but she could barely hear anything over her own frantic breaths. If she could just get to the ship…</p><p>“Come on, Glimmer! Don’t you want a big ole hug from your bestest friend in the whole world.” That creepy fake voice was coming from right over there. She leaned around the edge of the ladder for a better look.</p><p>No. Oh, gods, please no.</p><p>It didn’t make sense. It couldn’t be.</p><p>Now that she could see her attacker, she realized with horror that she knew him. She recognized every curve of his face, the way he moved. How could she not? She’d known him her entire life.</p><p>It was Bow.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm so sorry I left you all hanging like that, I got hardcore distracted by a Vampire AU! </p><p>This is our last check in on everybody back on Darla before we get into the big climax but we'll be back to Glimmer and Bow tomorrow!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Adora leaned against Darla’s control panel, pressing her fingers against the metal until the tips were white. This was taking too long and they still didn't even know if it was going to work. Behind her, Entrapta was making an incredible amount of noise, banging around on the ship’s innards and humming happily like she hadn't had this much fun in weeks. </p><p>In the captain’s chair, Catra stirred in her sleep and Adora turned, watching the familiar way her tail switched as she slept. Curled up against herself in the chair like that, she looked so small and venerable. Especially without all that hair. That she could even sleep through all this noise was a painful reminder of everything her friend had been through. It would take a long time to recover from her ordeal on Prime's ship, both physically and mentally. </p><p>She thought, unbidden, of Glimmer and Bow, her body tensing up again. She went back to staring at the small diagnostic Entrapta had pulled up on the screen before her. Her friend’s vitals, numbers, colors, and pulsing lines alongside tiny little stick figures of Bow and Glimmer. It was part of the transporter system, something to do with the way the DNA Entrapta had "borrowed" locked into their unique signals. It was a little creepy that she hadn’t asked permission but considering it was the only thing Adora had right now to tell her that her friends were still alive, she wasn’t going to make a big deal about it. </p><p>She had no idea what most of the numbers or lines meant, only that Entrapta had said as long as the big line was still in the green section Glimmer and Bow were still OK. Yellow was less good but if it got down to red, they had to lock onto their signals and pull them back whether they’d gotten the transporter working properly or not. Which considering how the last few tests had gone, was a terrifying prospect. </p><p>"Alright! I should have worked out the kinks this time." Entrapta appeared at her elbow, wiping grease on her overalls. "Let's fire it up and see what we've got!"</p><p>"Are you sure we should even be doing this, Entrapta?" There were still scorch marks all over the bridge from last time’s aforementioned kinks. "It's not that I don't have faith in you, but this whole system is really old and kind of busted and if it fails—"</p><p>"But failure is how you learn!"</p><p>"I don't want to learn! I just want Bow and Glimmer back in one piece!" </p><p>Entrapta ignored her, flipped her mask down over her face, and started talking into her recorder. "Commencing test 137, transporter system upgrades... now." </p><p>The geek princess initiated the test. Adora turned to watch the small cluster of apples floating just outside the window. It was the last of the fresh food they'd brought with them from Etheria but it was the only organic matter they had to test this system with unless one of them went out there. Swift Wind would be horrified. One apple glowed a pale blue and she crossed her fingers. </p><p>Maybe it would work this time. Gods, she really hoped it did. As much as she hated relying on this unstable old technology, she didn't have a better idea for how to get her friends back. </p><p>The area on the bridge they'd marked off for testing was glowing now with the same faint blue and it looked a lot less… glitchy?… than the last time but Adora still took two big steps back just in case. She allowed herself a burst of hope as something started to solidify in front of them. If they could get this to work, they could just snatch Bow and Glimmer back out from under Prime's nose and get the hell out of here. But then the air was filled with the distinct smell of burning and they only had a second to react before charred bits of apple spattered everywhere. </p><p>"What the hell?" Catra shouted, starling awake. "If we're just going to blow Adora's friends to bits, maybe we're better off letting Prime have them!" </p><p>"Ha! Got it inside this time! And it wasn't entirely pulverized!" Entrapta wiped applesauce off her mask and opened it to reveal wide eyes and a big smile. She hair-walked over to the small smoking lump in the center of the testing area that was all that was left of the apple. She held it aloft and it immediately fell apart in her hands. "Hmm. Do they really have to be in one piece?"</p><p>Adora stared at Entrapta genuinely not sure if the geek princess was joking or not. Entrapta tossed the bit of former apple back to the ground and let out a little chuckle. A moment later she was back to banging and working on wires. Adora brushed fruit off her, burned beyond recognition, and tried not to imagine her friends ending up in bits just like this. </p><p>“This is not good,” she said to herself. </p><p>"What are you so worried about?" Catra rose from the chair and shook herself off, looking irritated. "As long as Entrapta gets them on the ship, can't She-Ra just… fix them or whatever? I'm going to go wash this gunk off." </p><p>Catra wouldn't look at her as she left the bridge but everything unsaid still hung between them. Catra had been all but dead and She-Ra had managed to bring her back from just that one little spark of life left in her. But admitting that meant acknowledging what had happened between them and saying things Adora didn't think she was ready to say yet. </p><p>Certainly not now. </p><p>Maybe not ever. </p><p>But Catra’s words sent a new fear creeping through the tangled mess of worries already in her head. She couldn't just slip She-Ra back on whenever she needed her like she used to. She still had no idea how she'd managed to call her up when she was with Prime and, even then, she'd only been able to do it because it was Catra. Because Catra was more than just her friend and there was so much there between them, behind them and now maybe even ahead of them. It was a whole different class of feelings than she had for anyone else. </p><p>Mangled, messy feelings but all of them strong.  </p><p>But Bow and Glimmer? She loved them. She loved them like the family she'd never had and she would do anything for them but it was nothing like she felt for Catra and... would that be enough? She'd done it for them once before, in the cave, but it was only for a moment. She looked at the charred chunked of apple all over the bridge. She'd need so much longer than a minute to heal something like this. </p><p>But she had to try. Adora took a breath, steadying herself like she used to do in training exercises in the Horde. She focused on the thought of her friends, her best friends, the whole beautiful new world they’d brought her into, and held out her hand. She cleared her mind of all thoughts of destiny and She-Ra, of who she was supposed to be and what she was supposed to do. She focused only on the warm feeling of love she had for her two best friends. </p><p>Come on. For a minute, she almost thought it worked. Something fluttered against her palm, solid and real, and she closed her hand around it. But then the panel next to her beeped and it was gone, her hand closing in on her palm. She squeezed her hand into a fist and pressed it against her forehead. </p><p>Why couldn't she do this?  </p><p>She looked back at the screen and the little stick figures of Glimmer and Bow, their heart rates erratic in a way that could only mean they were in danger. From inside the controls, something sparked and Entrapta mumbled something that sounded discouragingly like, “Well that’s not good!” As Adora watched, Glimmer’s line fluctuated and then dipped precariously close to yellow before pulling back up to the bottom of the safety zone. </p><p>Adora opened the hand that had managed to conjure the sword again even if just for a second and stared at it. She tried to call She-Ra but this time there was nothing, not even the feeling of a spark. She closed her eyes and leaned against the control panel again. </p><p>She just had to hope it would be there when she needed it. </p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The next two chapters are very painful, I'm sorry. </p><p>Now is a good time to remind you that I SWEAR, no matter how bad things look, there WILL be a happy ending!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was Bow. HER Bow.</p><p>Glimmer wanted nothing more than to believe it was some trick but it was so unmistakably him. His spacesuit was gone, and she knew every dent in his armor, every stitch around the heart on his chest. She’d watched him move around exactly like this on a million missions. The dip of his head as he looked around the barrels she’d been hiding behind before. The way his feet kept moving in a straight line while his upper body twisted, searching side to side. How he kept his bow low, arrow notched, his finger almost lazily looped over the string. He could have it raised, the string pulled back and the arrow flying at his target before you even realized he’d moved.</p><p>But what was that thing on his neck? At first glance it looked like a bug but, when he shifted, it caught the light and the white and green of Prime tech was unmistakable. Wires and veins snaked out of it in vivid green against Bow’s dark skin.</p><p>What did that mean? Was Prime controlling him? The thought made her skin crawl, but it would explain why he was shooting at her, had SHOT her. Bow would never do that, not unless…</p><p>She suppressed a gasp as the image of Hordak’s first moments on Prime’s ship flashed before her. Prime had done something to his mind, his memories. He’d… erased him.</p><p>And then Hordak was gone.</p><p>Had Prime done that to Bow? What if Bow was… gone? Her hands were shaking, and she tried to steady them against the side of the ladder. No, no, she wasn’t going to even consider that. Prime didn’t know how to shoot arrows. There had to be at least something of her best friend left in there.</p><p>Didn’t there?</p><p>Bow had found her wrench. He bent, touching her blood on the floor and bringing it up to his nose. Like she was some animal he was hunting. Her racing heart pulsed in the wound in her arm, hot and painful. The shoulder of her spacesuit was already soaked through with scarlet which was probably not good.</p><p>He turned her way . She flinched back out of sight but not before she caught a glimpse of his eyes. Her Bow’s eyes were soft and warm and full of life. These were dead and green and full of nothing but venom. Her body went numb as a single hot tear trailed down her face.</p><p>“Where are you, Glimmer?” Bow’s voice echoed in the large space. He was facing the other direction—thank gods he hadn’t seen her yet—but she could still hear that terrible fake smile in his voice. “I could have killed you a dozen times by now and you know it.”</p><p>He could have. Bow was a master archer and an incredible shot. If he wanted her dead, she would be dead. But they still needed her alive, though that was little comfort as she watched Prime use her best friend like some grisly puppet. Prime’s voice in the control room echoed in her head, saying he wanted her to suffer.</p><p>Her throat constricted. He’d done this to Bow to get to her. This was her fault. Like everything else. She stifled a sob, but not well enough.</p><p>Bow spun around, his bow raised. Glimmer didn’t waste time thinking. She rammed her body into the rolling ladder, sending it skidding towards him. He’d already loosed his arrow, but it clattered down through the metal structure and exploded, spattering the bottom of the ladder with goo. The full bulk of the ladder itself slammed into him, the force enough to knock him off his feet.</p><p>Glimmer start to run but almost pitched forward. There was a fuzzy edge to everything which had to be from the loss of blood. The longer she waited, the worse that was going to get. She had to get away.</p><p>The ship was right there, the ramp still wide open. That had been her goal: grab the ship, get to her friends. But that was before she knew one of her friends was here with her. Her best friend. And there was no way she was leaving him behind.</p><p>Bow was still on the ground, his body twisted away from her while he tried to yank his leg free of the goo. She hesitated, giving a final glance to the open door of the spaceship before sprinting over and launching herself at his back. He slammed forward onto the floor, several of the trick arrows in his quiver going off at once. She clawed desperately at the thing on his neck, but it was like it was a part of him, pulsing with his heartbeat. Angry fingers dug into her thigh and the world rearranged itself as he tossed her off.</p><p>She hit the ground, hard, the wind knocked right out of her but she forced herself upright, breathless and dizzy. Only a few feet away, Bow was free and pulling himself back on his feet. His quiver was smoking slightly and dripping green ooze, but there was still a very sharp arrow notched in his bow and another tucked between the fingers of his drawing hand.</p><p>“Bow… please!” She called, gasping, trying to refill her aching lungs. He stepped forward, his lip curled into a sneer. Those horrible green eyes narrowed on her. He had never looked at her like that before, not even at his most angry. She struggled to her feet. “I know you’re still in there. It’s me! Glimmer! You don’t want to do this!”</p><p>She wasn’t sure what she expected him to do, but it wasn’t laugh. It was like everything else about him, mirthless and cold but just enough like her real Bow’s laugh that the sound of twisted her heart. He was still moving towards her, steady, casually, as if he knew she had nowhere to run. And she didn’t, not really. Not when she was trapped and powerless and his arrows were faster, even when she wasn’t woozy from blood loss.</p><p>“Maybe this is exactly what I want to do, princess. Maybe I’m tired of being taken for granted. Maybe I’m done cleaning up your messes and coddling your inflated ego. My life… the whole planet… would be better off right now if someone had done this a long time ago.” He was getting closer, his arrow aimed right for her chest. She should run, but his words rooted her to the spot, her legs frozen. “Poor little Glimmer. Your petty insecurities, your selfish pride. Doomed everyone rather than admit you were wrong. Why would anyone ever want to be friends with you? At least your mother isn’t here to watch you fail like she always knew you would.”</p><p>“Y-You don’t mean that!” Glimmer’s voice shook, but she would not let herself fall apart now. “Bow, you can’t really…”</p><p>It was Prime. It had to be. Bow would never say such horrible things to her… he couldn’t possibly mean… but how else would Prime even know any of that? How else would he know how to play on all her worst fears, to say exactly what would hurt her the most, unless he’d taken those thoughts directly out of the head of the person who knew her best in the world? She’d known he was angry, but the thought that this might be how Bow really felt about her deep down hurt more than the stabbing pain in her arm.</p><p>A tear slid down her cheek, hot and ashamed, and she wiped it away.</p><p>“I don’t care what you say to me. Maybe I haven’t been the best friend or queen. And maybe you really do hate me after everything I’ve done. But even if you never forgive me, I still care about you and I am not leaving without you!”</p><p>His bow dipped. Bow grabbed at his head and made a pained sound. When he looked up—Glimmer gasped—his eyes were his own again.</p><p>“Glimmer?” Bow sounded tentative, confused, but himself for the first time since they’d been on this ship. “Glimmer, wha—aagh!”</p><p>“Bow! No! Fight it!” Glimmer shouted, running towards him as he screamed, clutching his head.</p><p>Bow was still in there! He was fighting it! If he could win, then—But she’d no sooner had the thought than Bow jerked upright, his back straight, that same cold smile on his face. She could only watch as the soft brown of his eyes disappeared behind Prime’s evil green.</p><p>“Are you enjoying my little game, your majesty? I do hope you have learned that just as Prime can be merciful, he will not hesitate to make those in need of saving suffer until they are ready to embrace Prime’s light.” It wasn’t Bow’s laugh this time, it was Prime’s. That voice she had come to dread after all those weeks on the Velvet Glove coming from Bow’s mouth tore at her inside like knives. She saw them now, Prime’s white pupils in the center of Bow’s green eyes. “You see how this ends now. It would have happened this way far sooner if our poor sister, Catra, had not made her unfortunate decision to betray me.”</p><p>Prime spat out Catra’s name like it was poison. Bow stepped closer to her, his hand tracing her jaw and cupping her cheek exactly as Prime had always done. It didn’t matter that Bow’s hand was warm and familiar where Prime’s would have been cold, it still chilled her to the bone. She froze, terror overloading her system.</p><p>Prime’s smile stretched across Bow’s face, and it was a terrible thing to see. “There will be no more daring escapes, no more… miscalculations. When we finish this lesson, you will be reconditioned and I will crush what remains of your pathetic rebellion with your own powers. You will destroy them all gladly in my name.”</p><p>Ice filled her veins as she understood. He was going to chip her too. Chip her and take her back to Etheria and force her to use her powers against her friends. Against her planet. She’d lose herself. She’d lose everything.</p><p>No. Not after everything that had happened. It would not end like that.</p><p>She swatted his hand off her face and balled her fists.</p><p>“You want to chip Bow and I? Fine. My friends will still stop you. She-Ra will stop you. You can’t chip all of us.” She hoped she sounded a lot braver than she felt.</p><p>“All of you? Oh, no. I will take those that serve a purpose to me under my control and the rest?” Prime chuckled coldly as he stepped away from her. “You know, I had always believed that all creatures had a place in service of Horde Prime. But I am beginning to think you Etherians are far too emotional to ever truly rise up from the darkness. Take this boy, for instance. Weak, powerless, even by the low standards of your kind.”</p><p>“Bow is not weak.” Glimmer shook with rage and fear. His back was to her, and she tried to tighten her makeshift tourniquet but the blood wouldn’t stop sliding down her arm now in a steady line. The sickly sweet metallic smell was dizzying. “You know nothing about him.”</p><p>“Ah, but you see that is where you are wrong.” He’d strolled a fair distance from her now, but she didn’t dare move. Not until she could figure out a way to save herself without abandoning Bow. “Prime sees all. The boy’s whole simple mind spread out before me. I recognized him at once, of course. Such an interesting reaction you had to him in my dining room that day. Jumped right up out of your chair, elevated heart rate, unsteady breathing. Everything written right on your face. You gave quite the speech about your savior She-Ra, but this boy… There’s a rather long history between the two of you, is there not? Not unlike your friend She-Ra and her Catra.”</p><p>Glimmer shuddered. The thought of Prime combing through Bow’s mind, paging through his most private thoughts, made her skin crawl. “Get out of his head!”</p><p>“Oh no, I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Prime twirled an arrow through Bow’s fingertips casually, watching it, his tone maddeningly slow. “Do you know that he came back for you? That he tried to bargain for your life over his own. Pitiful. The fool was so ready to die for you. And so he shall.”</p><p>“No!”</p><p>“Why not? He serves no purpose outside of your pathetic Etherian affections, which I will free you of soon enough. Not part of any weapon or great power I can use to bring the universe to Prime’s light. His only purpose is this, your majesty. To show you how your attachments make you weak and what happens to those who defy Prime’s will.”</p><p>“So that’s it? Because he’s not useful to you, you’re just going to kill him?” Her entire body was shaking, and she clenched her fists at her side.</p><p>“No, your majesty.” Prime fixed her with Bow’s icy gaze and with a single motion kicked the wrench over to her. It skidded across the metal floor and came to a stop a few inches in front of her feet. “You are.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“No. No!” Glimmer recoiled from the wrench at her feet. “I will not kill Bow! I would never ever do anything to hurt him!”</p><p>“Oh, but, Glimmer, you already have.” It was Bow’s voice again, mocking sweetness. He was advancing and while his arrows were still in one hand, his bow in the other, there was nothing friendly about his expression. “Things between us have been broken for a long time. Are we even best friends anymore?”</p><p>“Bow, please… Stop it. You’ve got snap out of it.” She knew it wasn’t really him right now, but it was impossible not to look into that face she had known for most of her life and not still see her best friend. She held her ground even though her instincts told tell her to run.</p><p>Those terrible green eyes narrowed. If she hadn’t fought alongside him in hundreds of battles, she wouldn’t have seen it coming, but she saw his muscles tense half a second before he moved. He swung his bow, and she ducked. She felt the whoosh as the metal limb narrowly missed her head. She reacted automatically, kicking at his middle while he was still off balance. He grunted as her boot connected with his bare midriff and he stumbled backwards.</p><p>She grabbed the bow, trying to yank it from his hands, but he recovered quickly. He twisted, slamming the horsehead tip into the underside of her chin. Everything was stars as she fell backwards, something jabbing into her back as she hit the ground. She was operating on battle instincts now, not thinking, only reacting. She had no idea which direction was up, only that she needed to keep moving. Pain slammed into her side and she swung her fist as she flipped over, connecting hard with something.</p><p>The pain in her side was nothing compared to the screaming agony of the wound in her arm, bleeding now more than ever. Her limbs were heavy as she fumbled for whatever was behind her. She needed something, anything to defend herself. She closed her hands around the thing and dragged herself to her feet, holding her newfound weapon in front of her and seeing it for the first time.</p><p>It was the freaking wrench. She dropped it in horror and watched it clatter to the floor in double vision. Prime had tricked her, and she’d almost… But, no, she would not fight Bow! She grasped her head, trying to control the woozy feeling of spinning.</p><p>“Pick it up.” Prime’s voice again. There was a trickle of blood sliding down the edge of Bow’s mouth—Oh gods, had she done that?—but he didn’t even reach a hand up to wipe it off. Like Prime couldn’t care less what happened to this body.</p><p>“I am not playing your game.” She was breathing heavily, swallowing down great gulps of air to keep herself conscious. Adrenaline had fought back some of that sleepy feeling, but she was still on the edge of blacking out. “Kill me if you want. I will die before I hurt him.”</p><p>Prime twisted Bow’s face into a terrible sneer. He notched an arrow and aimed right for her. She gasped. Prime was going to do it. He was going to call her bluff, make Bow kill her.</p><p>“So you refuse Prime’s merciful offer and prolong this miserable creature’s pain. Very well.” He took another step closer, and she stepped backward, her heart pounding. “As for you, you will die when I no longer have need of you. Until then, your majesty, you will suffer.”</p><p>She didn’t even have time to move before the arrow sunk into her thigh. She fell backwards, searing torture ripping through her skin. The feathered shaft stuck out of her leg as a blossom of blood spread across the pants of her spacesuit. She struggled to get up, but everything was scorching pain and she only collapsed back down again. Prime tutted condescendingly, tapping the last arrow against the side of the bow.</p><p>“As falls its Queen, so falls Etheria. Your precious connections have been your undoing. The foolish feelings that brought you back for your enemy when you could have escaped. Your own senseless sacrifice that led you right back into my grasp. And now, this useless boy, who walked willingly to his end because he was blinded by love. You Etherians let your emotions make you weak.”</p><p>Blinded by… what did he say? Glimmer was drowning in pain, her head swimming, battling the current to stay conscious. Prime’s words fell slowly through the fog. Then all at once meaning clicked together and there was a terrible moment of focus, her heart jolting out of rhythm.</p><p>“Bow… loves me?” Blood rushed in her ears like she was drowning in her own body. “Bow? Is that true?”</p><p>She looked up at his familiar face, still twisted by Prime’s malice. His eyes were narrow and cold and his face twisted into Prime’s terrible smirk, but real tears slid down his cheeks.</p><p>Oh, gods.</p><p>It was true.</p><p>Oh, Bow, why didn’t you tell me? She’d wanted this for so long, but not like this…</p><p>“Bow, I—I should have said it before but I was so scared of messing everything up and there was never a good time… and then you left and Prime… and, when I saw you again, you were so mad I thought… I thought I’d ruined everything but I have always, well, as long as I can remember anyway, been—”</p><p>His bow clattered to the floor. For an ecstatic moment she thought he’d broken Prime’s control, but his eyes were still the same terrible green as he raised the arrow still clutched in his hand. He flipped it around and held the point up to his own forearm.</p><p>“No!” Glimmer screamed as he dug the sharp tip into his own skin and sliced it down his arm, blood blossoming against his dark skin. He gasped with pain and for a second Glimmer thought she saw his real eyes flicker through before they turned green and cold again.</p><p>“Please! Don’t hurt him!” Glimmer shouted. She strained to get back up, but her leg was stabbing fire and she buckled under the pain. She fell forward, snapping the arrow, forcing the tip farther into her thigh. She stifled a scream and bit her lip until it bled. “Prime… I’ll come with you. I’ll surrender myself. You can chip me, you can do whatever you want with me, just leave him alone!”</p><p>“No.” Prime’s voice came out choked as Bow wobbled, a thick dark stream pouring from his arm now. “This is what you get for defying me. The one memory I will leave you as I push out all the others. Something to remind you of what Prime is capable of when you are mine in mind as well as body.”</p><p>Bow raised the arrow to his other arm. She forced herself to her feet, swaying dangerously. Everything swam from pain and loss of blood, but she had to get to him. She lurched unsteadily, losing the battle to stay conscious, but she couldn’t just stand here and watch Bow bleed to death in front of her without at least trying to do something.</p><p>She was still too far away. She whimpered as Bow sliced down his other arm. He stumbled and fell to his knees, gasping. He braced himself against the floor on his hands, his life spilling out of him and pooling on the floor below. It was way too much blood and if she couldn’t stop it soon…</p><p>She tried to move too fast and pitched forward, hitting the floor. The world was spinning, dizzy and confused, but Bow was the only thing still in focus. He jerked himself unnaturally upright, sitting back on his legs.</p><p>Can’t stop now. She crawled towards him, agonizingly slow, fighting her own body as it tried to shut down. She was close enough now that she could see herself reflected in those dead green eyes and hear his shallow breath coming in frantic gulps. He didn’t look right, his skin sickly and faded. Bow’s arm twitched as he lifted the arrow point, still slick with his blood, up to his temple. She pulled herself up on her knees and lunged for it, using what was left of her strength to stop his hand.</p><p>Prime kept forcing his arm upwards and her knuckles were white as she fought it, her hand wrapped over his. She grasped him tighter, pulling with both hands now, feeling his arm still creeping upwards even as she was pushing it down with every bit of her dwindling strength. She didn’t have enough left in her. She wouldn’t be able to stop him. She wasn’t even sure how she was doing this after everything else; she was so weak.</p><p>“Bow, I’m so sorry. I…” She wasn’t sure anymore if her vision was blurry from blood loss or tears. “I love you. I <em>love</em> you.”</p><p>Without warning, his arm stopped fighting against her and it fell to his side, the arrow slipping from his slack grasp. The green flickered, and she saw a flash of his real eyes, pained and desperate and sad. If she could just keep him here for a moment longer…</p><p>Of course. Prime was wrong. Love wasn’t weakness at all. It was strength, the reason they were even still going right now when there was every reason to surrender.</p><p>Her arm was leaden as she lifted it around his neck, pulling herself up towards him. For the first time in this whole hellish ordeal, everything was perfectly clear as she pressed her lips against his. It was an awkward and kind of rough kiss, but it still sent a thrill through the haze of pain and fog. She couldn’t stop to think about how his lips felt against hers or how warm and familiar he tasted until the metallic taste of blood. She focused only on her hand as it left his neck and reached into his quiver.</p><p>Soft feather… goo. Long ones were net… Not that one, extra feather meant… There!</p><p>In the long moment it took for her to yank the arrow free from the mess of destroyed arrows in his quiver, she realized there was a hand on her waist, a gentle touch. She opened her eyes to see Bow, the real one, looking back at her full of love and trust. Oh, Bow. She was really sorry about this, but she didn’t see what else to do.</p><p>She flipped the arrow sideways and slammed the impact chamber directly against the back of his neck as hard as she could. She felt it activate, sparks burning her hand. Please work! If this little thing could short out a whole Horde bot, surely it could handle one tiny little chip.</p><p>Bow made a pained hiss, his back arcing, and then his eyes rolled back and he slumped against her, pulling them both to the ground. Oh, gods, had she killed him anyway? She tried desperately to pull him back up, but she had nothing left. Her body toppled over and there was nothing but muffled sound and what seemed like the glow of a faint blue light.</p><p>Everything felt tingly and light, but she could have sworn she felt his hand close around hers as she succumbed to unconsciousness at last.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>How we all doing? </p><p>Good?</p><p>Comments greatly appreciated! Especially if they are incoherent or yelling at me! :-)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The proximity alert whooped again. Adora growled, minimizing her friends’ vitals, Glimmer’s now solidly tipping into the yellow danger zone, to pull the radar back up. It felt like she was abandoning them every time she looked away from the screen. Watching the little lines at least made her feel like she was doing something. She tapped the alert, trying to get a visual. Maybe they’d luck out and this one would be a false alarm.</p>
<p>No such luck. Adora watched as another of Prime’s small scouting ships edged slowly alongside the cargo ship Darla was hiding under. The bits of the first scout were still floating just outside the big window alongside the very last, now badly warped, apple. She turned to point out the ship, but before she could even open her mouth, Catra had already fired a pulse and blasted the thing to bits.</p>
<p>“We can’t stay here much longer. Prime’ll know we’re here for sure now,” Adora said, mostly to herself.</p>
<p>“Fine! Next time I’ll let the thing find us.” Catra jumped up from the chair, throwing up her hands.</p>
<p>“I didn’t mean…” Adora rounded on her. Catra had stormed halfway out the door. “Hey! Come back here. What is your problem?”</p>
<p>“My problem? You’re the one who can’t even keep track of your own stupid friends. I don’t know why you even bothered to come get me if we’re just going to sit here and wait for Prime to capture us all over again. I’m surprised you haven’t called him up and offered to trade me back for them.”</p>
<p>That’s it! Adora was done. She’s been trying to cut Catra some slack after everything she’d been through but Entrapta still didn’t have the transporter working, she couldn’t seem to call up She-Ra no matter how hard she tried and every second they sat here doing nothing saving Bow and Glimmer felt more and more hopeless. All the fear and fury and frustration she’d been building since she realized her friends were gone exploded at once.</p>
<p>“Of course. Of course you’re being a brat about this. Do you understand that Bow and Glimmer didn’t have to agree to this? That they would have had every right in the universe to go home back to Etheria once we got Glimmer back and not risk their lives for a person who’s tried to kill them a hundred times. But they didn’t. They came on what might as well have been a suicide mission, Glimmer back to the place she only just escaped, to rescue someone who’s done nothing but hurt them.”</p>
<p>Catra wouldn’t look at her. “Just because you all get off on playing the hero—”</p>
<p>“Stop that! They did it because they are my friends and they love me! Bow and Glimmer may be the best damn people I have ever met in my life, and I love them, OK?”</p>
<p>“Then if they’re so freaking great, why didn’t you go off with them and leave me alone? That’s why I sent you your damn princess back, so you could go back to your stupid perfect life of castle sleepovers and cake in the middle of the night. You and I both know that whole little happy world you’ve built for yourself with them doesn’t include me.”</p>
<p>“That’s because… I asked you so many times… You’re the one who… ARGH!”</p>
<p>Gods, why was Catra so absolutely infuriating! Adora growled and kicked the wall. To her surprise, a panel lifted and Entrapta emerged from it, followed closely by Wrong Hordak. Entrapta was in her own little world, mumbling into her recorder, and she ignored them both, heading straight for the control panel.</p>
<p>Wrong Hordak gave them a cheerful “Greetings, brothers!” before following her.</p>
<p>Adora turned to exchange a look with Catra, but she was still half turned away, her arms crossed. Was she… about to cry?</p>
<p>Adora exhaled, the complicated knot of emotions in her gut unraveling. “I love my friends, Catra, but I love you too. Shit, I called up an ancient warrior woman out of absolutely nothing to save you! Do you think I could have done that if I didn’t care about you? How I feel about Bow and Glimmer and how I feel about you is completely different. I… You’re…” She wasn’t sure she was ready to finish that thought, so she let it hang there. “And you’re jealous, but the whole terrible joke here is… even after everything my friends have done for me, now, when they really need me? I won’t even be able to help them.”</p>
<p>Adora slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor. Something new was beeping, but whatever it was, Entrapta could deal with it. She extended her hand and tried again— gods, she’d lost count of how many times she’d tried— but She-Ra felt farther away than ever. If the transporter doesn’t work right, if Prime’s done something to them… What good was having the power to heal if you couldn’t use it on the people who mattered the most to you?</p>
<p>She hung her head between her knees and tried not to cry. She loved her friends. Why wasn’t that kind of love enough?</p>
<p>“Could that sound be more annoying?” Catra still had that obnoxious edge to her voice, but now that Adora knew it was only out of insecurity, all the fight was out of her. Besides, that new warning sound was ridiculous. It blared across the bridge like a digital shriek. “I’m shutting that thing up.”</p>
<p>“Ahaha! Success!” Adora looked up to see Entrapta in front of her brandishing an apple, badly distorted by the vacuum of space but otherwise mostly intact. All in one piece, no charring and not even smoking a little. “Now we just have to run a few more tests to account for any variables but just a few more minutes and—”</p>
<p>“Uh, I don’t think we have a few more minutes.” Catra was standing by the control panel, which was blinking a very worrisome looking red.</p>
<p>Adora jumped up, her heart in her throat, and ran over to look at the screen. There were the little stick figures with Bow and Glimmer’s vitals, both of them red and pitching rapidly downward.</p>
<p>“Bow, Glimmer… They’re dying! We had to get them out NOW.”</p>
<p>Everything happened very quickly then, from Entrapta frantically re-calibrating the transporter to their friend’s signals and Catra leaping back into the captain’s chair to get them ready to get the hell out of here as soon as they had their friends back on board. All the while, the tiny lines that represented the lives of her best friends dove lower and lower.</p>
<p>“We’re running out of time!” Adora shouted.</p>
<p>“I’m starting the transportation sequence… now. Adora! I’m sending them directly to Mara’s room. That’s where the medical supplies are. She-Ra better get ready to meet them because it looks like they’re going to need her!” Entrapta‘s hair and fingers danced over a dozen buttons at once.</p>
<p>Adora nodded. She gave the screen of vitals, red and desperate, one last glance. Then she clenched her fist and started for Mara’s room.</p>
<p>Bow and Glimmer needed her. They needed She-Ra. Desperately. And she was going to fail them. She hesitated at the doorway to Mara’s room, reaching out for the sword, but it she might as well have been trying to grab a handful of mist.</p>
<p>When she opened the door, she saw the faint blue glow of the transporter beam above the floor. As the glow resolved into shapes, she felt a sudden stillness wash over her. There was Glimmer, so brave and strong and broken, who had already been through so much. And Bow, steadfast and smart and kind, who never forgot that they were the good guys and that friendship was worth working at</p>
<p>She wouldn’t have stayed, wouldn’t have changed without them. The story of She-Ra really started, not with the sword, but when someone who had only known the world as cruel found two of the nicest best friends anyone could ask for who showed her things could be different. They’d transformed her more than the sword ever had.</p>
<p>And she loved them so much for it. Not less than the way she loved Catra just… different. And then something swelled in her chest that felt like love at first but bigger and she felt it overtake her in familiar golden light. And there was She-Ra at last.</p>
<p>Taller and stronger because she was shaped by the love Adora held for her friends.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I just... have a lot of feelings about how much Adora loves Bow and Glimmer, OK?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Light, familiar and warm. Colors, the edges blurry. Agony giving way to a peaceful exhaustion, like a cup of warm milk and her mother’s soft voice telling her to rest. Glimmer almost gave in and let sleep envelope her, but it was the thought of her mother that did it. It reminded her that nothing was alright.</p><p>There was something she needed to do. Her thoughts were slow, foggy. She clawed back to consciousness, pushing herself upright. Strong hands blocked her, forcing her back down.</p><p>She opened her eyes, squinting at the sudden brightness. There was someone in front of her, someone very tall and shiny. Someone just like…</p><p>“She-Ra?” What? They’d lost She-Ra. Did that means she was dead? But before she could make sense of it, She-Ra was gone and now it was Adora holding her, her face lined with worry.</p><p>“Glimmer? Shit, I’m so glad you’re OK.” Her friend pulled her into a crushing hug and she felt hot tears sliding down the back of her neck. The world resolved into fuzzy pictures as she realized they were on the floor, back on Mara’s ship. There was some kind of activity behind Adora, but her head buzzed with leftover healing magic, making it impossible to focus. “I can’t believe you did that. If I had known, I never ever would have let you… Don’t you ever pull that crap again, you understand me?”</p><p>“What… Something happened.” There was a hole in the leg of her spacesuit, ringed by wet blood, but when she touched the spot, the skin underneath was whole. Hadn’t there been…</p><p>Then she noticed the broken arrow on the floor next to her, blood stained and broken, and everything came slamming back. She fought to free herself from Adora and get to her feet. “Bow!”</p><p>“Shh.” Adora held her down, gentle but firm and way stronger than Glimmer had the strength to fight against right now. She thrashed against Adora’s grip. It was like fighting through molasses, her body heavy. “Listen to me. You have to take it easy. Even with the healing, you lost a lot of blood just… Please, Glimmer. I can’t… I can’t lose…”</p><p>Adora swallowed back a sob and pulled her back into another tight hug. Glimmer stopped struggling as Adora shifted and she saw the scene on the other side of the room. Entrapta was working on something up on the bed, a crudely wrapped lump of bloodied sheets, her expression as serious as she’d ever seen the geek princess look. Her hands and hair held sharp tools, and she was handing the Horde clone they’d brought with them from Prime’s ship a rag, soaked dark red.</p><p>It didn’t make sense until Glimmer noticed the hand — brown and much too still — hanging off the edge of the bed and realized with horror that it was Bow.</p><p>“Bow!” She screamed, adrenaline coursing through her, shoving Adora off with a sudden burst of strength. She scrambled to her feet but immediately pitched forward. She would have hit the ground hard if Adora hadn’t caught her. “What are you doing wasting your powers on me? Go fix Bow!”</p><p>“Glimmer, keep your voice down so Entrapta can concentrate. Bow is…” Adora hesitated, glancing back at Entrapta. When she turned back, she’d squeezed her eyes shut, her face scrunched. She inhaled sharply and looked a Glimmer. “Bow is alive. But—”</p><p>“Then why haven’t you healed him already?” She was hysterical, desperate to get to him but trapped in Adora’s vice-like grip. “Damn it, Adora, let me go to him!”</p><p>“Glimmer, please—” Adora made a strangled sound, tears flowing freely down her face.</p><p>“The chip was damaged, but it’s still giving out a signal. We should probably have checked Catra’s for that too. Wrong Hordak, remind me to do that when we’re done here.” It was Entrapta’s voice, maddeningly calm. The princess didn’t even look up from her work, some tool sparking away as she worked on the most important person in Glimmer’s whole world like he was some broken toaster. “But something melted Bow’s chip, and it’s fused with his neural network. If She-Ra heals him before we get it all out, it’ll heal over and we’d never get Prime of his head. Now hush so I can work!”</p><p>“But what if he dies before you can get it all out?” A hollow feeling settled in Glimmer’s chest. The shock arrow she’d used to disable the chip. Yet again, she’d somehow made everything worse! “We’re wasting time! He’s already lost so much blood! Bow!”</p><p>She lunged towards him again, but this time it wasn’t Adora who caught her but She-Ra. Her face was set with golden determination as she lifted Glimmer onto her shoulder and carried her out of the room.</p><p>“Adora, damn it, put me down! Let me go to him! You can’t do this!” She pounded and kicked, but it was like beating on solid stone. The more she moved, the more everything felt blurred and far away. “Bow!”</p><p>“Glimmer, I’m sorry, but Entrapta needs to concentrate. One wrong cut and even She-Ra…” She felt her friend wince underneath her. The rest of that sentence hung vividly unsaid between them, whipping Glimmer’s already frantic heartbeats into a gallop. She-Ra set her against the wall in the hallway, firm hands pushing her back down when she tried to get up.</p><p>“I need to get back in there. The second it’s out, I promise…” She-Ra took a sharp breath, her voice trembling. “I… I will not let him die.”</p><p>Before Glimmer could say anything, She-Ra was gone, leaving her wondering which of them that promise was meant to convince. From inside the room, she heard Adora's voice, high and panicked. She fought against the heavy buzz of the healing magic, dragging herself across the hallway, pulling herself up to slam the console, but they’d locked her out.</p><p>Bow! She pounded at the hard metal door until her fists were bruised and raw, her throat ragged from screaming to be let in. She threw her body against it over and over, but the door wouldn’t budge. Time crawled by and no one told her what was happening, no one seemed to care at all that her best friend was dying and she couldn’t even be with him.</p><p>After what could have been minutes or hours, Catra came in from the bridge, fragile and small without her mane. She hugged her arm against herself and looked like she might say something, but Glimmer was feeling too helpless and scared right now for comfort from Catra of all people.</p><p>“Go ahead! Tell me he’ll be fine, I dare you!” Glimmer screamed, her voice a hoarse croak. Catra shifted and her tail wrapped around her ankle. “How can you just stand there and pretend like you even care what happens to Bow? Like you haven’t tried to kill him a dozen times? Like this isn’t exactly what you wanted?”</p><p>Catra looked at her, her mismatched eyes unreadable.</p><p>Fight me. Claws and fists, something she could react to. Or if she would just make some biting remark, Glimmer could hate her again, boil this terrible pain down to simple fury. She waited, tensed and ready to explode, but Catra said nothing. Just watched her, thinking thoughts she never shared.</p><p>Finally Glimmer sunk to the floor, her back against the door. Her head leaned against the cold metal, the smell of the dried blood on her spacesuit making her nauseous. She strained to hear something, anything from inside, but all she could hear was the rush of blood in her own ears. Exhaustion pulled at her from the healing and fighting and a life that did not want to seem to give her a break for even a minute. She didn’t know when she’d started crying, but she didn’t even have the strength to wipe it away.</p><p>Long after she’d assumed she’d gone, Catra walked over, her toenails tapping against the floor the only sound in the whole world. Without a word, she sank to the floor, leaning against the door with a heavy exhale. Then, for a long time, the two of them did not look at each other, did not speak, but kept vigil together in silence.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Bow, we’re going to get out of this but I need you to trust me.”</p><p>“You know I always trust you.” Bow’s voice was half sob but hope flared as Glimmer watched the green fade entirely and saw his own warm brown eyes again. He grabbed at where Prime’s sterile white uniform covered his midsection and then reached out for her, hands shaking. “Glimmer…” </p><p>She pushed away from Prime’s throne and ran towards him, but before her hand reached his, he yanked it back. His bones cracked as his body jerked, unnaturally straight. He whimpered a moment before his eyes turned green again, Prime’s voice layered with his.</p><p>“Disappointed? It was never going to end any other way. Some creatures deserve only suffering.”</p><p>For a moment, Bow’s eyes returned to normal. Then he screamed as the chip on his neck exploded in green lightning, his eyes rolling back into this head. Glimmer raced to the edge but all she could do is watch in horror as he fell backward, plummeting off the edge of the platform into the darkness beyond.</p><p>“No!” Glimmer screamed before diving after him, her body hurtling through darkness and nothing, the only sound Prime’s twisted laughter, and her own desperate screams. Then she saw Bow far below, broken and mangled but it couldn’t be too late, if she could just reach him, there had to be— </p><p>“Sparkles. Wake up.”</p><p>Glimmer gasped. It was like breaking the surface after almost drowning. The nightmare still clung to her, threatening to pull her back down. Her heart pounded against her chest and she reaching out instinctively for something to hold onto, to convince herself she wasn’t still falling into an endless void.</p><p>Her bunk on the ship. And… Catra? She rubbed her face, trying to get some coherence back. Her former enemy was leaning over her bunk looking as worried as she’d ever seen her look. </p><p>“Catra?” She sat up too quickly and had to grab onto the edge of the bunk to steady herself. Why did she still feel so tired? And what was with this weird buzzing feeling? She’d didn’t even remember getting into bed, let alone— she gasped, pushing herself to her feet. “Bow—”</p><p>Catra held up a hand. "Keep it down, OK?" </p><p>She jerked her head to the other side of the room where Adora's silhouette rose and fell in the pale purple lights of the barracks. Glimmer glanced back at Catra and watched the other girl’s face soften as she sat on the edge of the bunk. </p><p>"Entrapta got the chip out.” Catra rubbed her neck, her eyes trained on the floor. “Adora did the glowy healing thing. He’s alive." </p><p>Alive. Air rushed out of Glimmer’s lungs with wild relief. She was already sitting upright, halfway out of bed. "Why didn’t they get me? I want to—" </p><p>Catra shushed her again, grabbing her arm. Adora shifted in her sleep but her slow breathing resumed again after a moment. She tugged Glimmer back down until they were sitting side by side. </p><p>"Adora doesn’t want anyone in there. I'm supposed to keep you out but…" Catra's shoulders rose and fell with a single deep breath. "Look, you need to understand… Entrapta said his vitals were fine or whatever but, no matter what they did… No matter how much Adora…" </p><p>Catra swallowed and Glimmer tried to remember how to breathe. "Catra?"</p><p>"He never woke up. Maybe because Prime’s still got control or because…  he’s gone."</p><p>The bottom dropped out from under her. Glimmer might as well be back in her dream, plummeting into nothing. She opened her mouth but all that came out was a broken sound halfway between a gasp and a sob. </p><p>“But here’s the thing, Sparkles. Nobody knows anything. Not really.” Catra rubbed her hand against the back of her neck. “Prime chipped me too. And when I was— Well, nobody but Adora could have gotten through to me. And you and Arrow— Bow are… whatever you are. Close. If he’s going to wake up for anyone, it’d be you. So if you want to go see him, I’m not going to stop you. </p><p>Glimmer was already on her feet, hands balled into fists. "You couldn’t stop me even if you wanted to."</p><p>Catra's smile was all teeth and she made a small laugh in the back of her throat. "You're a lot more like me than you'd like to admit, Sparkles. But wait. Clean yourself up first. Just… trust me. You smell like blood and… him.” </p><p>She shuddered and there was no doubt in Glimmer’s mind who Catra meant by him. The thought of Prime gave her exactly the same kind of creeps. And if Bow did wake up for her— and he was going to, she wasn’t going to even consider the alternative— it wouldn’t help to go in smelling like a battlefield. She started to pull off her spacesuit. </p><p>“Adora… This whole thing really messed her up. She loves you two. Like... a lot. It’s a good thing all that healing knocked her out because when Bow didn’t… When she couldn't get him to...” Catra rubbed her arm, her tail twisted around her ankle. “I wish I could say that if I'd realized how much you mattered to her I wouldn't have tried to kill you so many times but I probably only would have tried harder." There was a long pause where Glimmer wasn't sure if Catra was going to speak again but then she said in a barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry."</p><p>Catra stared at the ground for a long while and then gave Glimmer a sheepish kind of look that didn't fit with any kind of Catra she knew but apparently they were all in uncharted waters now. Glimmer gave her a small smile in return. </p><p>"Hey. We've all done stupid stuff." She’d had half pulled off her leotard before she realized she'd thought nothing of changing right in front of Catra like she would have with Adora. </p><p>Huh. Friends with Catra. What a concept.</p><p>Glimmer pulled her bag of clothes out from under her bunk and started to rummage for something else to wear. As she pulled one of her favorite soft shirts out of the bag, she wondered for the first time who had packed it. It had to have been either Adora or Bow. Somehow the thought of her friends, the ones she'd betrayed, packing this little bag full of comforts from home while furious at her hurt like a dull ache. </p><p>"Can I ask you something?" Catra looked small.</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>"Bow said… you two have been best friends since you were kids, right?"</p><p>"Yup. Just like you and Adora."</p><p>"Yeah…” Catra watched the silhouette across the room. For a moment there was no sound but Adora's gentle snoring. “Except it’s never been that simple, has it? ‘Just friends.’”</p><p>Glimmer flushed. Was she THAT obvious? OK, maybe she had talked about Bow a lot on the ship but no more than Catra talked about— Huh. </p><p>A whole bunch of stuff made A LOT more sense now. </p><p>“Be careful, Sparkles.” Catra did her usual sneaky smile but there was warmth in her eyes. “And good luck.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The reason the number of remaining chapters keeps changing is because I keep changing my mind where I want the chapter breaks so I have given up on giving you a predictable reading experience and will just keep on posting what feel like chapters with satisfying breaks to me. What remains was originally written to be one last chapter but I may split it up if it gets too long. </p><p>We are nearing the end. </p><p>Let's just say that.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I was going to make the whole ending one super long chapter to put you all out of your misery but it got too long so I split it up. Which means you get one last painful cliffhanger. </p><p>You... may need tissues handy. </p><p>Only one chapter to go after this.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was something cathartic about watching all the blood and sweat slide down the ship’s shower drain. Glimmer still wasn’t used to the sterile smell of Mara’s old soap, but at least it cleared her head. By the time she’d dried and dressed, she felt more like herself than she had since they’d arrived at the Velvet Glove what felt like a lifetime ago.</p><p>She stepped back into the bunk room, gathering her stained clothes into a pile. She’d honestly rather toss them in the incinerator, but she wasn’t sure if Entrapta would want to repair the spacesuit. For now, she threw the whole mess into a corner to deal with later.</p><p>She paused in the open doorway, the light from the hallway illuminating Adora’s bed. Catra was curled up at the bottom, purring in her sleep, her tail twisted around Adora’s wrist.</p><p>Guess it had never been as simple as “just friends” for them either.</p><p>She walked on soft barefoot across the cold metal floor. Darla coasted with a steady hum that was so much more soothing than the oppressive silence of Prime’s ship. There was a noise, and she hesitated, but it was only Entrapta on the bridge, asking Wrong Hordak for a six-sided hex driver.</p><p>She stopped at Mara’s room, resting her forehead against the entry panel. Adora didn’t want her doing this. Bow wouldn’t either, she was sure of it. It was dangerous, especially after everything she’d just gone through, and maybe even pointless. But she couldn’t… wouldn’t accept it until she saw it for herself. She touched the pad and let it slide open.</p><p>Bow.</p><p>He lay on his side on Mara’s bed, just as he’d been when Entrapta was working on his neck. The sheets were clean, the rags and bandages gone. Someone, probably Adora, had tucked him under one of those weirdly shiny synthetic blankets this ship seemed to be full of. She watched his side rise and fall, the rhythm of his snores steady and familiar.</p><p>She made her way quietly across the room, letting the panel shush closed behind her, and sat on the edge of the bed. He’d looked so much older lately. Weeks of war, and the stresses of space had aged him. But now, in just a shirt, without his armor or weapons, he just looked like Bow. Her Bow, small and peaceful, like she hadn’t seen in a long time. From here, she could almost pretend that nothing had happened.</p><p>Now what? She had been so sure that she needed to come in here, that she needed to see him. But now that she was standing here… What could she possibly do?</p><p>Catra thought if Bow was still in there for anyone, it would be for her. But Glimmer wasn’t so sure. A year ago, maybe, but now? She thought of all the things he’d said under Prime’s control, his anger when she’d first gotten on the ship. Her gut twisted.</p><p>It was too much, finally, to be this close and not touching. She climbed up onto the bed, hugging the opposite edge so she was facing him. She was barely breathing, afraid to make a sound. As long as she didn’t try to wake him yet, they were in a sacred space where anything was still possible.</p><p>She shifted herself closer until their foreheads were almost touching. The warmth of his exhales brushed against her lips. She waited, counting heartbeats, for him to hook his arm around her side and pull her closer. That was what Bow did in his sleep. No matter how far apart they were when they started, they sought each other out and woke tangled up. Some kind of nocturnal magnetism that drew them to each other even when they were unconscious.</p><p>But he never moved.</p><p>“Bow?” Glimmer whispered at last, her voice small. She watched his face, waiting for some sign of life, a twitch, something. It was easy to imagine things in this dim light when all you had was a tiny ember of hope keeping you from sinking into darkness. She cleared her throat, trying to keep her voice steady.</p><p>“We got away. We’re safe now. Back on Mara’s ship, heading home. Did they tell you that? Entrapta got the chip out… Oh, and She-Ra’s back somehow and she healed you so you’re not… you’re…” She didn’t even know what she was saying. Bow’s hand lay still on the sheet between them, and she closed her hand over it. She traced her thumb over lukewarm skin, waiting for his fingers to close around hers, but they stayed slack and lifeless.</p><p>“Apparently Catra and I are friends now. I think she was kind of worried about you too. Crazy, right? But maybe since she’s with us and She-Ra’s back, we’ll actually have a chance at…” She inhaled, shakily. His steady breathing was the only sign he was even still… that he wasn’t completely…</p><p>She wasn’t just talking to herself. She couldn’t be. He had to be hearing her somehow… right? She tried to think of what else to say, feeling foolish, like a child too old for playing make-believe. She tightened her grip on his hand.</p><p>“Bow, I really need you to wake up now. Just for a minute, so I know you’re OK, and then you can go right back to sleep if you want. I’ll stay with you. Today and, like… every night from now on. I’m basically planning on never letting you out of my sight ever again after this, so you’re stuck with me!” She laughed, too high, and kept her eyes on his hand, focusing on her thumb rubbing back and forth, back and forth. “Actually, that’s all we’re going to do. When this is all over? When we’ve saved the universe? We are going to nap! Just cuddle up on an enormous pile of pillows back at Bright Moon and find out what it’s like to not be tired for once in our lives. Can you imagine what that would be like? To wake up in the morning and know the war is over? To not have to grab your weapons first thing or send your friends out without knowing if they’ll come back? To never have to watch another village burn down again? We could just… be!”</p><p>The problem was, she couldn’t picture it, not really. An entire lifetime of being soldiers in a war that started long before they were even born. She’d been trying so hard not to cry, but the tears came now, faster than she could wipe them away, soaking the pillow.</p><p>“We could just be. And be together. You and I. It would be so much easier, being Queen, if I wasn’t doing it alone. We’re a great team! And it would be like, the party of the century, and all our friends would come, and then we’d be married and live happily ever after and… Oh Bow, you would be the best dad, just like the best dad ever.” She could picture that, picture it perfectly, and it somehow made it much much harder.</p><p>She looked up at his face through eyes blurred with tears. It might as well be made of stone. It was still that same peaceful, blank expression that looked like Bow with none of his warmth behind it.</p><p>The quiet panic that had been building for the last few minutes spilled over, the stubborn certainty she’d had that it would work, of course it would work, cracked, sending despair pouring in. She leaned forward and kissed his frozen lips, a desperate fairy tale hope. Then she waited, watching, the only sound her own jagged breathing.</p><p>Nothing happened.</p><p>So that was it then. She squeezed her eyes closed, tears leaking down her cheeks anyway. For a long while, the only sound she could make was a shrill drone, a desperate keening.</p><p>“How am I supposed to say goodbye to you?” Her chest tightened, pain clenching her middle. It was like being crushed, everything pressing down on her until she could hardly breathe. It was worse than with her mom because he was right here in front of her, but what did it matter? They’d both gone somewhere she couldn’t follow. “At least you knew. Even with everything… at least I got to tell you that I loved you. And I do, you know, even if sometimes I was shitty at showing it and it seemed like I took you for granted. You were always so so wonderful, so much better a friend than I ever deserved. And I loved you. I loved you so so much.”</p><p>It didn’t get easier. Her dad, her mom, and now… they were all fresh cuts that never properly healed over, each new one even more painful because of how they split the others open all over again. Sometimes she felt like grief was bleeding her out, bit by bit, and someday there’d be nothing left of her but a drained husk. She sobbed uncontrollably, her body shaking, aware of nothing but clawing anguish and a hollow feeling that threatened to swallow her whole.</p><p>Until she felt calloused fingers close around her hand.</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Her eyes flew open.</p><p>Bow was watching her, his gaze soft and brown. She was afraid to breathe as he lifted his hand to her face, sliding his fingers through her hair. His touch was gentle, so much softer than when Prime was in control. He repeated the motion, his brows knitting together like she was a problem he needed to solve. The sparkles in her hair reflected in his eyes as he watched the feathered edges fan out under his fingertips and fall back down to her face. </p><p>It took her a moment to find her voice, and when she did get something out, it was barely more than a rasp. </p><p>“Bow?”</p><p>“Glimmer?” His eyes focused on hers, his head tilting slightly. He ran his fingers through her hair again, watching it out of the corner of his eye. “Is this… real?”</p><p>“Thank Mara!” She lunged for him, wrapping him in a crushing hug, dizzy with relief. She was still sobbing, but her tears felt different now, warm with pure elation. She buried herself in his neck, breathing in great gulps of his familiar smell. “Bow, I thought you were gone. I thought I lost you!” </p><p>He rested a hand on her back, his touch tentative. Why wasn’t he hugging her back? She pulled herself back, holding him at arm’s length so she could see him better.</p><p>“No. No, it’s a trick.” He shook his head, his mouth set. “He’s just showing me what I want to see. And then it will twist.”</p><p>“Bow, look at me.” Glimmer grabbed his face between her hands. He scanned her, still looking for the lie. “This is real. I promise. I stayed behind and you came back for me and Prime was… controlling you, but that’s all over now. We got away, we got him out of your head. You’re safe now. We both are. For real.”</p><p>He blinked at her slowly, his brows scrunching closer together. Then he moved his hand to the back of his neck, his fingers searching the unbroken skin. His eyes widened, and she nodded encouragingly, a happy sob bubbling up before she could stop it. He looked away, remembering. </p><p>“I was looking for you but they…” He winced, sucking air through his teeth and she reached for him, rubbing his arm. “And then he was in my head and I couldn’t… he made me…” </p><p>He gasped and tugged the blanket off her shoulder. His fingers traced her bare forearm. It took her a minute to realize he was looking for the arrow wound. </p><p>“It’s OK! It’s gone. She-Ra healed it. She healed both of us. It’s fine now.” She was trying to keep her voice calm, but it faltered when his eyes met hers and she saw how utterly stricken he looked. </p><p>“Glimmer… I shot you. I <em>shot</em> you.” Bow’s face scrunched, and she shushed him, hugging him towards her. “The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”</p><p>He collapsed into her chest, his back shaking with shuddering sobs. Seeing him upset like this hurt like a physical ache. She pulled him closer. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face into her shirt, soaking it with tears. </p><p>“Shhh. It wasn’t you. I knew it wasn’t you.” She whispered gentle assurances she wasn’t even sure he could hear, nuzzling her face into his curls and kissing his head. She had never seen him cry like this, not even when they were little. She rubbed his back in slow circles like he’d done for her when her mom died and tried to remember if it had ever been like this before, her comforting him instead of the other way around. “Prime did that. Prime said those things. Not you.”</p><p>“But it was in my head.” He was hiding from her, his voice muffled by her shirt. “What I said… I didn’t mean it but I was just so angry and if I… If I had…”</p><p>“It’s OK,” she whispered as he dissolved into sobs again. </p><p>“No! It’s not OK!” He shook his head against her chest, his hands balling into fists on her back. “I didn’t… I didn’t understand what it was like there for you. What it was like with… him. And you were there for so long and you finally got out and I <em>yelled</em> at you. My best friend. I pushed you away when you needed me and you can say it was all Prime but that part was <em>me</em>, Glimmer, and if I hadn’t… you never would have thought you had to sacrifice yourself and none of this would have happened. And I am never, ever going to be able to forgive myself for that.”</p><p>Glimmer held him, feeling helpless. He made a terrible small wail of pure despair. He broke down again, hiccuping sobs shaking his while body.</p><p>“Bow, look at me.” </p><p>He whimpered, shaking his head, hiding deeper into her shirt. She exhaled, laying her cheek on the top of his head. She stroked the skin on the back of his neck, all healed over and new. If only all of this was that simple to fix. </p><p>“We’re not going to do this. Apologize back and forth to each other after everything that—” She choked back a sob, a lone tear sliding down her cheek before she got control again. He tilted his head until he was peeking up at her, his eyes puffy and bloodshot. She’d never seen him look so small. “We’re done rehashing the past. I won’t pretend that everything is going to be OK. We still don’t know what to expect when we get back home. And It’s not like we’ll be able to just forget this. But you’re not allowed to blame yourself.”</p><p>At first she thought she’d only made things worse because he was crying again, as hard as before. But then he sniffled, pulled himself back up to the pillow and used the collar of his t-shirt to wipe the tears off his face. He looked at her finally, miserable and shattered. He opened his mouth to say one thing and then another and then shook his head and looked away, tears still falling in a steady stream. She realized he was digging his nails into his forearm where Prime had made him cut himself and she gently interlocked her fingers with his, pulling his hand away.</p><p>“Prime left a lot of wounds way beyond what any magic can heal. We’re all going to need a ton of therapy when this is all over.” She smiled, but he didn’t return it. She’d never seen him so fragile like this. She hated it.  “In the meantime, though, what matters is we’re safe. And we’re together. And we’ll just have to keep ourselves distracted so we don’t let it destroy us. OK?”</p><p>He was scratching at his other arm now and she grabbed his arm this time, tugging it towards her. </p><p>Her sweet broken Bow. Why wasn’t there a way to just make it all better? She leaned down and kissed the inside of his wrist, indented from where his nails had dug into the soft new skin. Another gentle kiss just above that one and then one above that, all the way up what would have been the gash Prime had made him cut with the arrow-point.</p><p>He swallowed, and she stopped to look at him. He was watching her very intensely, and she flushed, wondering if she’d messed something up. Then he offered her his other arm. </p><p>“Uh, yeah. That’s definitely OK.” His voice sounded rough, but he gave her a small smile. She repeated the line of kisses on this arm, something fluttering in her middle as she felt his skin warm under her lips. As she reached the end of the line, he cleared his throat. “So, Glimmer?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Before I was kind of… out of it. But I heard your voice and it… I really don’t think I would have made it back if you hadn’t…” He moistened his lips. “Anyway, all that stuff you said about… us. I just wanted you to know… I’m in.”</p><p>What had she even said? Glimmer tried to remember. Something about peace and naps and—Oh, right, getting married and having babies and living happily ever after. She blushed. </p><p>“I love you. I’ve been just completely and totally in love with you. For a while. Maybe always.” He reached out and cupped her face. She nuzzled into his palm, her heart fill to bursting. “And I’d really appreciate if we could just pretend this is how you found out and not… any other way.”</p><p>“Deal.” She braced a hand on his shirt, his chest warm and firm under the thin shirt. She sniffed and then laughed without even knowing why. It was like exact opposite of when the arrow had hit her, warmth radiating out instead of pain. They were both crying again, or maybe they’d never stopped, but it was a different kind of tears. “I love you too. And, actually, while we’re at it… there’s one more thing I’d like a do-over on.” </p><p>She closed the distance between them. It was nothing like before when she desperately smashed their faces together. It was gentle and warm and a knot untied in her stomach when he leaned into her and kissed her back, tentative at first and then more insistent. There was so much time to make up, so many things that were easier said right now with touch and tongue, the two of them desperately trying to overwrite the torment Prime had put them through with the bliss of discovering each other in a brand new way.</p><p>He laced his fingers through her hair and pulled her towards him. She hooked her leg over his, her whole body on fire for him, needing them to be closer. He started nibbling at her neck, and she hummed happily, her fingers dancing down his back. There were so many more muscles than she remembered him having before she’d left, though she’d never gotten to touch him like this before, like he was all hers to explore. </p><p>She reached the end of his crop top and ran her fingers gently down his lower back. He growled, his mouth capturing hers again, his teeth brushing her lower lip. She’d wanted this for so long without ever knowing if he felt the same and then she’d almost lost him forever and now all she wanted to do was cling to him like it was the end of the world.</p><p>Which, for all they knew, it was. </p><p>She was just sliding her hand southward to see how far this bare skin thing extended when she heard the room panel slide open. </p><p>“You had one job, Catra, and now Gl— Bow? You’re awake?” Adora stood utterly dumbfounded before them, her face slack. Her hair was still loose around her shoulders, like she’d come directly from bed. </p><p>They broke apart and Bow shifted awkwardly away, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. Glimmer’s heart raced, and she was having trouble remembering how to breathe. Bow tried unsuccessfully to sit up, and the blanket slid down off his upper body. It took all of her self-control not to run her fingers across the firm skin of his abs like she’d been dying to do for years. </p><p>“I told you to leave them alone!” Catra was laughing, a real laugh, one she’d had never heard before. </p><p>“Adora. Hi.” Bow cleared his throat and tried to act casual, which was hilarious given the circumstances. His eyes flicked over to hers and Glimmer was irrationally delighted by how completely flustered he was. Adora just blinked at him, but he continued undaunted. “And hello, Catra. Welcome aboard.”</p><p>Catra didn’t reply, but gave a pointed look to their puffy lips and disheveled appearance and smirked at Glimmer. Wasn’t there some expression about the cat that got the cream? Because that was an excellent explanation for that smug look on her face. Glimmer flushed, but when she caught Catra’s mismatched eyes she couldn’t help but grin back.</p><p>“So you’re… yourself? And you… how do you feel?” Adora’s voice sounded so fragile, so different from when she was ordering them all around as She-Ra.</p><p>“I feel… fine.” Bow’s hand sought Glimmer’s. She squeezed back, his secrets safe with her. “Tired, mostly.”</p><p>Adora ran her fingers through her hair, letting out a long puff of breath. “Bow, when you didn’t wake up last night, we didn’t know— We thought— Shit, I’m so glad you’re both alright.” </p><p>Suddenly Adora was kneeling on the bed between them, an arm around each. She was crying and squeezing way too hard, but it was worth being crushed and slightly strangled to see how truly happy she was to have them back safe. Adora kissed Bow on the cheek and then turned and squashed her lips onto Glimmer’s cheek too. </p><p>“It’s OK, Adora. We’re good.” Glimmer and Bow exchanged a glance over their best friend’s shoulder. They could all have an honest conversation about… everything later. There was no point in getting Adora worked up right now with everything else going on. </p><p>“Are you?” Adora looked between them. “Because, before, it kind of seemed like everything between you two was kind of… broken?” </p><p>Glimmer exhaled. “Well, I really screwed up—”</p><p>“And I was mad.” Bow cut her off before she could say anything else. He slid his thumb against her hand. “Emotions were high and we both could have made better choices, but we care about each other too much to let it ruin what we had. Or what we could have in the future.” </p><p>Glimmer flushed. The way Bow was looking at her right now was making heat rise in very interesting places. She turned to Adora, wondering if she noticed, but she was looking over at Catra.</p><p>Their former enemy stood leaning against the wall as if she couldn’t care less what was going on over here, though Glimmer couldn’t help but notice she’d turned her ears in their direction. </p><p>“Well, I’m glad you’ve worked it out.” Adora looked between them like she was trying to read something in a language she’d never seen before. She lowered her voice. “The kissing… That hasn’t been going on the whole time, has it?”</p><p>“Uh, no. It’s new.” Bow looked from Adora to her and smiled. A bubble of pure euphoria burst out of Glimmer as a giddy giggle and she hid her face in the pillow. </p><p>“Oh. OK. Whew. I mean, I know I’m oblivious sometimes, but it seemed like I probably would have noticed something like that, you know?”</p><p>“Adora. We love you,” Glimmer said and Bow threw his arm over his mouth, which did absolutely nothing to hide that he was shaking with laughter. </p><p>“Alright. Come on, Adora. You saw that they’re OK. Let’s go.” Catra came over to the bed and tugged on Adora’s arm. </p><p>““OK, fine. I’ll go.” Adora gave them each one more tight squeeze and then dismounted the bed. “But you both went through a lot so, please, promise me you’ll get some rest and not just… you know. <em>Stuff</em>.”</p><p>“That’s enough. Out, dummy, let’s go.” Catra shoved Adora out the door. Glimmer expected her to follow right after, but she hesitated in the doorway, rubbing the back of her neck. “Hey, so Arrow Boy… Prime chipped me too. Made me do a bunch of shitty things to Adora and myself. And if you maybe wanted someone to talk about it with later or whatever… Anyway.”</p><p>Bow looked ready to say something, but Catra didn’t even bother to look this way before disappearing through the doorway, the door sliding closed behind her. He watched her go, his brows knit. He reached his hand up to touch his neck, a mirror of what Catra had just done. </p><p>“I didn’t know that. About Catra and Adora. I wonder what Prime put them through.” Glimmer shuddered. “But at least there’s someone for you both to talk to who understands what you went through, though I don’t know how empathetic you can expect Catra to—Bow?”</p><p>Something was clearly wrong. Bow looked far away, his breathing erratic. He was digging his nails into the back of his neck so hard he’d drawn blood. She tried to pull his hand away, but he fought her.</p><p>“Bow. Bow, look at me. You’re safe.” She put her hand on the side of his face. His eyes darted around her face, wide and panicked. “Come on, we’re going to think about something else. Uh, we could… I know!”</p><p>She leaned up and kissed him on the forehead. “That’s one.” She kissed him again, on the chin. “Two. Come on, count with me.”</p><p>She kissed him again, one on each cheek, and he counted three, four with her, his voice barely more than a breath. Finally, he stopped fighting her, and she could pull his hand away from the back of his neck. They counted together as she planted a kiss on each stress paled knuckle. By the time she reached ten, a tiny peck on the tip of his nose, his eyes had focused on her again, his breathing almost normal. </p><p>“How are you doing?” she asked softly when it seemed like whatever it was had passed. She’d never seen him like that before, but she had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last time something like that happened. It scared the crap out of her. </p><p>“It’s better now. But Glimmer, I am… not OK.” He closed his eyes, and she looked down at his fingers intertwined with hers, flecks of blood on his fingernails. When she looked back up, tears were sliding down his cheek. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Hey. You have nothing to be sorry for. And don’t you dare be embarrassed either.” She knew exactly how he thought, the way he hated to be a bother or burden anyone with his problems. “It’s not going to happen instantly and maybe it’ll never fully go away, but it will get better. We’ll get help, we’ll figure out how to manage it, and we’ll do it together. No apologies. But you’ve got to let me talk care of you.” </p><p>He nodded and exhaled. She could see the tension release from his shoulders. </p><p>They lay in silence for a long while as she stroked his back and he wiped his tears on the last dry inch of his shirt. </p><p>“Now, you tell me. What can I do? How can I help?” </p><p>“Well, it helps when I’m not thinking about it. And I really don’t want to think about it.” He looked up at her, a sheepish expression on his face she’d never seen before. He chewed at his bottom lip. “So if you could maybe find a way to… distract me?” </p><p>“Oh, I see.” She grinned as he wrapped his arm around her middle, sliding her closer to him. She pretended to think about it. “A distraction, huh? Gosh, let’s see. What could we do…” </p><p>His mouth captured hers, hungry and intense. She finally indulged the whim and walked her fingers across the exposed skin of his midsection., somehow even more fun to touch than she’d imagined. He laughed, pulling her halfway on top of him, everywhere their bodies touched warm and electric. She broke the kiss, taking a moment to appreciate him from this new perspective. She liked having him under her like this; it was giving her all sorts of ideas.</p><p>“It’s a long trip back to Etheria. I’ll probably need a lot of distracting between now and then.” He’d slid his hands under the edge of her shirt and she shivered from the feeling of his fingers tips dancing against her bare skin. Two can play at that game. Her fingers strolled higher up his chest into uncharted territory, which only made him tug her closer so his lips could reach her neck. His voice was barely a breath against her ear. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”</p><p>"Hmm, yeah.” She shifted so she had a leg on either side of him, her lips trailing his jawline. “That’s a sacrifice I’d be happy to make.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Whew! So this fic represents way too many hours of work but I'm really proud of how it turned out and I hope you all enjoyed it!</p><p>Comments are incredibly appreciated, always, and if you wanted to leave me a tip, I would not be mad about it! https://ko-fi.com/tippenfunkaport</p><p>(There is a slight chance I might write an epilogue to this someday but I'm marking this complete in the meantime since that won't be for a while!) </p><p>Thank you for your reading and your support! I'll be starting a new (far less traumatic!) multi-chapter Glimbow centric fic soon so keep an eye out.</p><p>Also I'm on Tumblr if you ever want to say hi! https://tippenfunkaport.tumblr.com/</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments are always hugely appreciated no matter how long after posting it is!</p><p>Visit my Tumblr for asks, fic updates and misc thoughts. <a href="https://tippenfunkaport.tumblr.com/">https://tippenfunkaport.tumblr.com</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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